AFIS Interoperability: Leaders in the Field of Latent-Print Identification Are Starting to Look For an "Enter Once, Search Many" Solution

• NCJ Number: 222244
• Journal: Evidence Technology Magazine Volume: 6 Issue: 1 Dated: January-February 2008 Pages: 12-16
• Author(s): Kristi Mayo
• Date Published: January 2008
• Length: 5 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Technical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article examines the interoperability problems associated with the automated fingerprint identification systems (AFIS).

Abstract

The power of the automated fingerprint identification systems (AFIS) is significant; however, one important weakness identified of AFIS is interoperability. Some of the major stumbling blocks to AFIS interoperability include: (1) political will, (2) connectivity or networking, (3) consolidation, (4) maintaining accuracy, and (5) workload management. The proprietary variations between AFIS systems that were created by different manufacturers, and sometimes even variations between system versions that were created by the same manufacturer, can cause interoperability problems. Interoperability is often referred to as “enter once, search many.” It is suggested that in a perfect world a latent-print examiner would be able to capture a latent-print image once, encode it once, and then search it against as many fingerprint or palm-print databases as necessary in all 50 State AFIS systems.