Police Try Out High-Tech Id Tool
The San Leandro, Calif., Police Department recently took part in a field test of a new device that could make it easier for officers to identify criminals. The Palm Pilot-sized device, called a biometric identification system (IBIS), captures a thumbprint which is then sent electronically to a fingerprint database where it is analyzed.
If the thumbprint is in the database, the IBIS will give the officer the person’s name, date of birth, outstanding warrants, criminal history, and mug shots. If there is no information about the person in the database, the IBIS will display the message “No Ident.”
The wireless device could save officers time when trying to identify potentially dangerous criminals who do not have identification. Under the present system, suspects that do not have ID are taken to department headquarters, where they are fingerprinted and a background check is conducted.
Although the IBIS received favorable reviews during the test, the San Leandro Police Department said it currently has no plans to buy the device.
Abstracted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center(NLECTC) from Inside Bay Area (CA) (08/08/05); Graham, Ricci .
