DPS has new fingerprint matching system

The investigation unit of the Department of Public Safety is going high-tech, joining about 300 other departments around the globe as users of a system that keeps tabs on fingerprints.

The use of the Automated Fingerprint Identification System Tracker for crime solving purposes is an important component to the investigative process and “we all need to be optimistic about what we all could achieve,” said Sgt. James C. Deleon Guerrero, deputy commander of administration for the Criminal Investigation Bureau. “Cooperation is key and technological advancements is the way to go.”

According to chief operating officer Scott Howard of Phoenix Group, the supplier of the tracking system, the AFIS would allow the DPS to create a database of finger and palm prints that could be used for matching prints taken from crime scenes.

The tracker system is a PC-based system that will allow the department to create a database of 10 print and palm print records. Prints that have been developed in crime scenes can be entered into the system to compare them against the database of records, with the purpose of identifying perpetrators of crimes.

“The system will provide a candidate list or list of potentially matching fingerprints,” said Howard.

Howard said a certified fingerprint examiner can determine if there are any matches with the fingerprint being entered in the system.

“Fingerprints is considered one of the strongest evidence ever,” Howard said.

The system, first introduced about six and a half years ago, currently costs about $30,000. Howard said that when first introduced, the least expensive system was “well over $1 million.”

“One of our goals is to provide a system that is affordable for departments to be able to own this kind of technology,” he said. “Our company put this technology on the PC, and the average cost of a system now is in the neighborhood of $30,000, but that can vary depending on customization that a particular department needs in terms of how many records they need to store and so forth.”

Howard, who arrived last Saturday to install the system and train operators, presented seven employees of the department with certificates of completion after they finished about 40 hours of training that included an overview of the system; training on how to enter and scan in records; how to scan in latent records from crime scenes; and how to use the features of the system.

Receiving recognition were AFIS Tracker officer in charge Yvonne Tarope, detectives Jerome Bermudes, John Limes, George David; Thelma Ichihara, and James Rabauliman. David is the certified fingerprint examiner as well as operator of the system.

“I’m sure we’re going to see a lot of great results from the system as the database grows, and as the investigations using the system become more commonplace. I think it will be a great addition to your investigation department,” Howard said.