Nlets Membership 101
Nlets Membership 101
While some people in the law enforcement and public safety community are intimately familiar with the services that Nlets provides, many are not aware of how we are governed and how our membership operates.
In this blog, you will learn about the different types of Nlets members, the rights and responsibilities of each, and much more. We hope that by the conclusion of this blog, you will have a better understanding of the influence that our membership has to determine both the current and future direction of Nlets.
History
As you may already know, Nlets was founded in the mid-1960s when representatives from the states agreed to develop a nationwide, interstate communications system.
Since then, Nlets has connected all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and Canada along with numerous federal agencies and various associate members for the secure exchange of criminal justice data necessary to complete their law enforcement, justice, and public safety mission.
Since we were initially founded, Nlets has always been funded and governed by the lead law enforcement agency from each of the 50 states, commonwealths, and territories. They determine not only the overall strategic and technical direction of the company, but also approve new members, Strategic Partners, and create motions at our Annual Business Meeting that seek to optimize current operations and maximize future goals.
Types of Membership
There are four types of Nlets members, each with their own membership criteria and responsibilities. We will discuss each of them below.
The Principal Membership is made up of the lead law enforcement agency in each of the states, commonwealths, and territories. This group has the most membership authority when it comes to rights and responsibilities.
The next membership type is Federal Membership. This includes federal agencies with a law enforcement component and those agencies who fall under a parent agency who also have a law enforcement component. For example, The Bureau of Consular Affairs/Passport Services falls under the umbrella of The Department of State, each of which are Federal members of Nlets.
Third, the Associate Membership consists of organizations who provide a service to the Nlets criminal justice community and are not eligible for any other membership type.
Last, our International Membership consists of those criminal justice agencies under the authority of a foreign government that may be assigned Nlets control terminal responsibilities. Currently, Canada is the only international member.
On occasion, Nlets is approached by an organization or agency who would like to become an Nlets member. The prospective member must meet the requirements established in the Nlets By-Laws and go through a formal vetting process.
Membership Responsibilities
You may be wondering what makes the different types of Nlets members unique, and the answer is that each of the various membership types have corresponding responsibilities and levels of authority. You may review the below table to compare them.
|
MEMBERSHIP AUTHORITY |
PRINCIPAL |
FEDERAL |
INTERNAT’L |
ASSOCIATE |
|
Required to attend and participate in all Nlets Council Meetings |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
Voting rights in Council Meeting – amendment to Constitution & by-laws |
Y |
N |
N |
N |
|
Voting rights in Council Meeting – election of Corporate Officers |
Y |
N |
N |
N |
|
Voting rights in Council Meeting – matters brought before the Council |
Y |
Y |
Y |
N |
|
Voting rights in Regional Meetings – election of Regional chair and vice-chair |
Y |
N |
N |
N |
|
Voting rights in Regional Meetings – matters brought before the Region |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
Nominate & elect Nlets Officers |
Y |
N |
N |
N |
|
Approve site of annual Nlets Council Meeting |
Y |
Y |
N |
N |
|
Consider appeals for action by Board of Directors |
Y |
N |
N |
N |
|
Approve Principal Member service dues |
Y |
N |
N |
N |
|
Serve when appointed on Nlets Committees |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Membership and the Board of Directors
One membership authority limited to our Principal membership is the ability to sit on the Board of Directors.
Each candidate for office must be a Representative of an Nlets Principal member and must have served as an Nlets Representative for a minimum of 24 months immediately prior to the election.
Current Members
As the current list of Nlets Representatives changes regularly due to promotions, retirement and other causes, we recommend regularly checking the Nlets website for the most up-to-date information.
Conclusion
Hopefully this overview has provided you with sufficient information to understand how we are governed. As you now know, though we are technically classified as a 501(3)(c) not-for-profit organization, our governance is different than the usual organization. However, because our membership is directed by those who work in the field that we support, the decisions made about the company’s future is done so by those who are not only in the know about what is going on, but who know how to make the most impact on the criminal justice and public safety community.