NCJ Number
227521
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 57 Issue: 6 Dated: June 2009 Pages: 44-46,48
Date Published
June 2009
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article explains biometrics and how the technology is being used in police and security work.
Abstract
Biometrics is the measurement of physical characteristics of individuals that make them unique. In law enforcement, these unique characteristics are used to identify someone, with the most widely used biometric being fingerprints. Biometrics is also used in the technology of facial recognition. The deputies of the Pinellas County Sheriff's Department (Florida) can make an identification of a suspicious person on the street by using the digital camera installed in the police car. As the suspect stands in front of the patrol car, he/she is photographed. The photo is entered into the patrol computer, which is linked to a database that accesses nearly 5 million photographs. The software will take the suspect's photo and make a comparison. Matches are sent to the officer through his cell phone and computer with physical descriptions of the possible matches. If it is a match on a wanted person, the deputy makes the arrest. Palm Beach County, FL has invested $1.1 million for palm print technology that assists law enforcement officers working across municipal boundaries, so they will have access for positive identification of suspects. In December 2007, the FBI created a database of the many fields of biometrics. This national effort will help computerize biometrics to assist in identifying people in the United States and Canada. Biometrics is also used in technology for secure entry. Facial recognition provides an efficient and reliable alternative to cards or passwords, which can be lost, stolen, or misused. Other less known biometrics used in identification are ear lobe configuration, handwriting, how one uses a keyboard, and a person's running or walking gait.