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12/16/03
 In
our previous front-page story, we talked about the origins
of fingerprinting and linked to a guide
on how to take legible fingerprints.
Now, we bring you a couple of real-life success stories
made possible by today’s cutting edge fingerprint technologies.
The centerpiece of these successes is a state-of-the-art
computer technology called the Integrated Automated Fingerprint
Identification System, or IAFIS. IAFIS houses in digital form
more than 46 million sets of fingerprints that can be searched
and matched in a matter of minutes.
Why is speed so important? Because many suspects are let
go shortly after being detained or arrested on lesser crimes.
Now, law enforcement authorities can find out in a heartbeat
if a suspect has a criminal history or is wanted for other
serious offenses — thanks to exponentially quicker turnaround
times on fingerprint checks.
Two recent examples:
On November 19, IAFIS received a fingerprint submission
from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office in Norwalk,
California. The subject had been picked up for possessing
a controlled narcotic substance. Within 14 minutes, IAFIS
had a match: this person not only had a criminal record in
Colorado, but was wanted in Portland, Oregon, for the murder
of his mother. Without this fast response, the subject may
have gone free before his true identity was revealed.
On November 25, the Howard County, Maryland, Police Department,
arrested an individual for possession of illegal drugs. He
was fingerprinted, and his prints sent electronically to IAFIS.
Just 18 minutes later, officers got the results back and learned
that the individual was wanted by the FBI in Denver for the
murder of his ex-girlfriend.
These are just a few of the many IAFIS success stories every
day — and why the FBI remains committed to providing
this critical service to law enforcement.
For more information, see the IAFIS
and CJIS websites.
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