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Pennsylvania Chooses Facial Recognition Technology

Systems to help enable statewide biometric data sharing.

HARRISBURG, Pa. -- The Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association (PCPA) has selected Identix' Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS), an enterprise-level facial biometric search engine. The PCPA is incorporating the system in conjunction with the company's fingerprint technology, as part of an integrated solution that will enable biometric data sharing throughout Pennsylvania's law enforcement networks.

ABIS is a Web-based facial recognition-matching platform that enables large-scale identification solutions for government, law enforcement and commercial users.

Pennsylvania's initial database will include approximately 700,000 facial images, and PCPA expects to add up to 500,000 images to the database over the next several years. Law enforcement officers throughout the state will have the ability to rapidly and accurately data-mine PCPA's growing database of facial images from approximately 150 sites throughout Pennsylvania.

ABIS allows law enforcement agencies to automate the mug shot booking process, build photo line-ups and check against watch lists. Officers no longer need to rely solely on often erroneous demographic information, as they will now have the ability to search a facial image against a database of other facial images, quickly and accurately. This can be particularly valuable during an investigation when only a picture or composite sketch is available. In addition, ongoing integrity checks can be run on image databases to search for duplicates, aliases or even mis-entered information.
Miriam Jones is a former chief copy editor of Government Technology, Governing, Public CIO and Emergency Management magazines.