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RALEIGH – State officials are now testing the framework for a statewide criminal justice database.

Law enforcement agencies say the new system could make the criminal justice community much more effective through information sharing and increased communication.

"What we have to recognize is that this data is owned by the people of North Carolina for the benefit of the people," state Controller David McCoy said. "And what we want to do is to share data so that our law enforcement and courts can be most efficient and effective."

Right now, agencies work with different information systems that don't always talk to each other.

With CJLEADS, the acronym given to the new data integration system, information about criminal history, probation status, pending court cases and more would be pooled together into one central system.

"You may stop someone for a minor traffic violation and not know they're wanted and maybe they're off probation, or they have criminal charges pending," Eddie Caldwell, of the N.C. Sheriff's Association, said. "This would tie all that data together and enable the law enforcement officers to make North Carolina a safer place for all of us."

Officials say they're looking forward to the day the program is ready to launch statewide.

And McCoy said the system could help prevent crimes similar to the murders of UNC Student Body President Eve Carson and Duke student Abhijit Mahato. The accused men in those crimes were both on probation.

"Eve Carson was murdered about 300 yards from my house and was a friend of my daughter's. Abhijit Mahato had family, friends over at Duke, and in the Durham community, and in India," McCoy said. "The fact that these individuals were murdered by individuals who should have been detained – we have to be in the business of making sure we do everything possible to make sure our public is safe."