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136 AUTOMATED FINGERPRINT IDENTIFICATION SYSTEMS

argue that unlike fingerprints, DNA provides a wealth of information about a
person’s genetic makeup. This information could conceivably be used as a tool
to gain information about other family members who have no direct associa-
tion with the event for which the person was arrested. Unlike DNA, a finger-
print image has no associated link with any other family member. The unique
friction ridges on a fingerprint developed due to pressure, not genetics.

6.3 THE MOVE FROM FORENSIC TO
CIVIL APPLICATIONS
The early applications of AFIS technology were limited to the area of forensics.
These original applications of AFIS, which relied on images from inked ten-
print cards that were captured by digital cameras, increased not only the speed
of the identification response, but also the level of accuracy. Identifications that
took hours, days, or weeks pre-AFIS could now be concluded in minutes or
hours. Latent print processing particularly benefited from this increase in
response time and accuracy. The number of latent print identifications made
after the introduction of AFIS was an exponential leap from the number made
pre-AFIS, from a handful to thousands. Although the process was still very much
linked to paper, the move to increased use of digital imaging was becoming
apparent. The infusion of federal funding for state and local governments, the
creation of IAFIS, and the immediate benefits in processing speeds and accu-
racy were attracting attention.
The markets that had first been dominated by large AFIS vendors were
becoming of interest to smaller, more specialized companies. These companies
could provide unique services such as application software or specialized hard-
ware, such as livescan machines, that were competitive with the large vendors’
products. This led to the large AFIS vendors entering into strategic alliances
with niche companies, which provided for a more efficient, more competitive
AFIS product while responding to competitive market forces. With more players
in the field of AFIS technology, there were more minds looking for additional
applications for the products.
As AFIS systems’ electronic records began to replace the clerks who had clas-
sified and fielded the tenprint records, other components began to have similar
effects. The introduction of livescan for the capture of finger images as well as
pedigree information—along with mug shots and palm impressions—became
a much less demanding process. Sworn personnel were no longer essential for
fingerprinting a prisoner. Livescan machines do not require messy ink rollers
and errors can be immediately corrected. Booking officers could be freed to
return to patrol; less skilled personnel could handle the booking.