Page 122 - Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems (AFIS)

FROM PRINT TO IDENTIFICATION 107

produced on the rap sheet. Other information, such as sex, pattern, and Process
Control Number (PCN), or later the SID (state identification) number, is stored
in an alpha database. The images are stored in the image database, and the
minutiae extracted from these records are stored on matchers.
The following image processing description is generic in nature (see Fig. 5.10
for an overview of the process). While many large agencies have switched to
livescan, inked and rolled cards are still in use. Both will be described.
First, the subject is brought to the booking station for printing and identifi-
cation. Pedigree and arrest information are entered, usually into some form of
OLBS. If the agency has a livescan device, the information will appear on the
screen, pre-filling the fields. This reduces the likelihood of input errors later
in the identification process. If a physical tenprint card is used, this same infor-
mation can be printed onto the card.
The fingerprint images are taken by rolling each finger and then taking the
set of plain impressions. If this is done on a livescan machine, there are auto-
matic quality control features, such as required fields, quality of the images (i.e.,
minimum number of minutiae present), and out-of-sequence finger notifica-
tion. This last feature is completed by matching encoded minutiae of the finger
images to ensure that they are not repeated. This also reduces the chances of

AFIS Processing Flow Figure 5.10
Overview of Image
Capture Process
Arrest

Enter
Booking
Data

Fingerprints
Taken

YES
Ink and Roll Card
Scanned

NO
Received by
Livescan ID
Bureau

Store Alphanumeric
and Data
Forward Entered