Florida Police Identify Individuals in the Field Using Handheld Fingerprint Scanners

The Sarasota County, Fla., Sheriff's Office has deployed handheld devices that scan fingerprints to aid officers working in the field. The Sheriff's Office purchased 14 of the handheld scanners that connect to state and local databases and the FBI Repository for Individuals of Special Concern to identify individuals. The devices allow police officers to positively identify people in the field, instead of returning to the jail to process the information.

The devices -- which utilize Motorola's MC75 Enterprise Digital Assistant outfitted with a fingerprint scanner and idSoftware's PrintSearch Mobile software -- cost about $4,100 each were paid for out of the office's drug forfeiture fund.

"In the field, officers will, on most occasions, be able to obtain the true identity of someone by obtaining a fingerprint, thus being able to charge them if they are providing false information," said Wendy Rose, community affairs manager for the Sheriff's Office, via e-mail. "Currently if the person provides a name and no record is found in the system when dispatch runs a search, that person might be released. With fingerprint data, the true identity can usually be determined. Example: A person gives their brother or sister's information which might lead to a citation or arrest in that person's name unless we can properly identify them."

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