Page 138 - Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems (AFIS)

CURRENT ISSUES 123

small test system to test new application software before it is permanently
installed on the operational system.
The computer equipment and software now in use are very reliable. New
computers require less energy, generate less heat, last longer, and are less likely
to break down before scheduled maintenance. They are also less expensive.
Vendors are producing more reliable software that is less prone to bugs, or
more politely, “undocumented features,” that cause the system to fail.
The emergence of AFIS technology into other market areas has brought indi-
rect benefits to the forensic AFIS community since it means more customers
for AFIS products. More customers can translate into better products and better
performance.
The strength of AFIS systems lies in the acceptance of AFIS as the bench-
mark for identification. Whether performed for a forensic application, such as
an arrest or job application, or as a condition to receive government services,
fingerprinting is very much accepted. It is not as invasive nor as expensive as
other biometrics such as iris scanning or DNA testing, and the results are pro-
duced very quickly.
National and international standards have developed around fingerprint
capture and transmission that permit any locale to collect, compress, transmit,
and receive tenprint records and images. Networks such as the Criminal Justice
Information Services (CJIS) wide area network (WAN) provide a communica-
tion system to IAFIS and other states and allow databases other than the local
one to be searched with relative ease.
The identification of latent prints has increased geometrically with AFIS.
AFIS systems can compare the image characteristics of a latent print against all
the millions of records in the AFIS database and produce a list of candidates
based on matching score. The training and experience of the latent examiner
are used to make the ident, frequently by comparing the latent print or photo
against the image on a tenprint card.

6.1.2 AFIS WEAKNESSES
6.1.2.1 Lack of Interoperability
As mentioned previously, one weakness of AFIS systems is that they are not com-
pletely interoperable. They do not function with the ease of automated teller
machines that can connect to virtually any financial institution (usually for a
small fee) and debit or credit an account. The database of millions of AFIS
records available in one state is not immediately available to another state for
searching. While a path does exist, through IAFIS, it does not connect every
existing AFIS database. As has been discussed, a search of the local database
for a criminal application (e.g., for an arrest) may return a “no hit,” while the