NCJ Number
110291
Journal
National Sheriff Volume: 39 Issue: 1 Dated: (February-March 1988) Pages: 12-16
Date Published
1988
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Using the experiences in California and Tacoma, Wash., in changing to an Automated Fingerprinting Identification System (AFIS), this article discusses typical challenges facing law enforcement agencies planning to convert to a computerized system for gathering latent fingerprints.
Abstract
These include (1) convincing the local government to allocate funds; (2) carefully planning a program for selection system design, and (3) ensuring the quality of the data base. The rising crime rate and the increasing cost of personnel are given as two reasons for switching to an AFIS system. Strategies for enlisting public support, planning for change, and rating priorities include comparing the costs of buying or sharing AFIS to the cost of litigation for false arrests, developing a team of experts for planning and project management, conducting a needs assessment and a technology review, and developing a request for proposal (RFP). Additional factors include personnel to run the system, maintenance costs, space limitations, system accuracy, the number of prints able to be processed in a given period, labor intensity, and the system's ability to allow for manual enhancement and other quality controls. Other important factors are net price, quality and length of warranty period, and compatability with current data processing trends. The $23 million Cal-Identification System (CAL-ID) in California, the first statewide AFIS network which is fully implemented and operational, holds more than 4.8 million fingerprints.