Page 16 - Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems (AFIS)

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 WELCOME
There is a world in which every crime is solved in 60 minutes, DNA matches
are made “While U Wait,” and staff work on only one case at a time. But it is a
fantasy land, an imaginary land; it is not the real world. This book is about the
real world of biometric identification technology. It is a fascinating topic. This
technology can confirm the identity of an individual in a split second; it can
also reach back in time to place a suspect at the scene of a crime that occurred
years ago.
With no more information than a picture or a fingerprint, it is possible to
match a subject in question with a known individual. With or without the
subject’s cooperation, his or her DNA, fingerprint, portrait, or some other phys-
ical characteristic can be matched to a known person.
An identification can lead to a record, a description of a person’s past. If the
person has been previously arrested, the arrest information can be retrieved. If
the person has previously applied for a job that required a fingerprint check,
that information can be requested. Biometric identification does not need to
rely on spoken information from the subject in question; even amnesia victims
and the dead can be identified. Once the necessary information has been
entered into a biometric database, future inquiries require only the successful
comparison and matching of the biometric for confirmation of identity.
Biometrics has many implementations. Some are extremely complex, requir-
ing massive arrays of computers and a dedicated staff. Others are relatively less
complex, requiring only ink, paper, training, and experience. For example,
access to secure areas can be allowed by the matching of a finger image or
an iris scan. Telephone conversations using voice recognition technology can
confirm the identity of the caller and allow transactions in the caller’s financial
account. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) master criminal file
requires hundreds of people to support the database, communication lines, and
inquiry processing. A latent print examiner can compare a print from a home