Fingerprint
All police agencies had a deadline: By January next year, they must submit criminal fingerprints electronically to the state. Problem is, most small police agencies don’t have the equipment necessary to do that. Not only does it cost about $30,000 but software and training costs would make the switch prohibitive, a budget-buster. “That’s more than a patrol car and I’d rather have the patrol car,” said William Blythe, village of Warsaw police chief.
So Blythe and other agencies continue to do what they’ve long done: Take a finger, dab it in ink and put the prints on a card. Blythe, for one, was hoping for good news when he talked to the state Department of Criminal Justice Services about the practice.
He got it. DCJS is allowing small agencies to continue to submit fingerprint cards the old-fashioned way.
The systems require no ink, only a light fingerpress on a small glass screen. Prints are then magnified for better view by the officer. All four fingers can be placed on the screen at one time, rather than the one-finger rolling method with ink. The state says electronic fingerprints can make information instantly accessible. DCJS spokeswoman Janine Kava said criminal histories and background checks may take weeks or a month with ink cards and 30 minutes with electronic submissions. While police agree electronic fingerprints may be better, the cost is the issue.
Read the article here.
