My MacBook Air has a “TouchID” button that unlocks the MacBook when I touch the button with any of three fingertips that it’s been trained to recognize. Much handier than typing in a PW!

When training the button it’s fascinating to see the fingerprint develop as I touch the button with different areas of my fingertip.

I’m wondering if police departments are now using similar technology to record fingerprints instead of the messy old ink pad & paper.

We haven't used ink in my agency in over fifteen years. We take prints digitally except for patrol officers on citations will take a single print with an ink pad for unknown ID purposes.

When I got TSA Pre Check for me and Mrs. Flash, they used digital fingerprints and the same was true when I got both of us Passport Cards.

The cops would be nuts to not be using them as the things would pay for themselves in time savings alone.

Been the police for 16 years now. Never once done someone’s finger prints.

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:
My MacBook Air has a “TouchID” button that unlocks the MacBook...

iPhones and iPads had them a long time. After collecting fingerprints for many years, they've dropped it and offer facial recognition instead. I suppose so they can put faces with the prints. (tinfoil or not)

My old department started using scanned prints in 2003. Before that we used real ink and cards. When I went to get my prints for my LTC (CCW) I began printing myself when the lady entered my info. I was done before she could stop me. She looked at me and said wow…I showed her my Retired creds and she just nodded..

I imagine he new baby cops wouldn’t even know how to roll a set in ink.

Yes, for something over a decade now. Prior to that, I rolled many inked prints of persons alive and otherwise.

Interestingly, while fingerprint sets are normally done digitally now (and have been for almost a couple decades), our DNA database kits require ink thumbprints as part of the submission.

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:
Interestingly, while fingerprint sets are normally done digitally now (and have been for almost a couple decades), our DNA database kits require ink thumbprints as part of the submission.

That’s weird, once we started doing DNA in NC, we used the AFIS machine to print the barcode and forms for the DNA. Place the swab and forms in the DNA pouch and give the guy the way to have it expunged from the database if he was found not to be the criminal or won his case. The cards never got inked, the machine printed out a set that were put into the DNA envelope.

Different systems or brands of scanner machines.

One of the last sets of inked prints submitted by my agency was taken by this retired detective and then-dispatcher. A guy who was applying for a carry permit couldn’t get an acceptable set taken either digitally or inked by anyone else. I heard what was going on and told him to come back the next day when I would have my old field kit available.

After I took the set the sheriff said it was the clearest inked set he’d ever seen, and the guy got his permit. Ancient law enforcement history like revolvers and film cameras are today.