Fairfax County Police Deploys Datastrip DSV2+TURBO® Devices to Enhance Identification Accuracy in the Field

EXTON, Pa. — To improve the accuracy of ID discovery by officers in the field, the Fairfax County (Va.) Police Department (FCPD) is pioneering an advanced identification process using the DSV2+TURBO® from Datastrip Inc. The handheld biometric terminal has a fingerprint scanner and card reader, and it can also take photos on the scene.

For FCPD, the units were loaded with custom software to seamlessly interface with FCPD’s Automatic Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) and to perform facial recognition against its Viisage software-enabled mug shot database. Using the device, FCPD can positively match a photo and/or fingerprints in about 30 seconds.

“Sometimes officers just get a feeling about someone, that the ID or information they provide isn’t real. This allows them to confirm positive identification if the person has ever been previously fingerprinted,” said Lt. John V. Byrd, the project manager for FCPD. “Officers can use the machine to identify people who aren’t carrying identification or who are unconscious at an accident or crime scene.”

FCPD purchased 50 DSV2+TURBO units as part of a $14 million grant from the Office of Homeland Security. FCPD has since ordered an additional 30 terminals. The system integrator for FCPD recommended the Datastrip device because it met the department’s usability criteria and it was easy to customize. The touchscreen, for example, was modified so it can be operated with a finger instead of a stylus, simplifying use in the field.

“We are very pleased to be working with Fairfax County on such a breakthrough project in domestic law enforcement,” said Joe Delaney, Datastrip’s vice president of sales and marketing. “It demonstrates the programming flexibility and adaptability of the DSV2+TURBO.”

The DSV2+TURBO features a large, high-resolution touchscreen display that is readable in both direct and low-light conditions; a long-life battery for extended shifts; and flexible expansion and communications options, including Wifi, Bluetooth™ and cellular for global communications, barcode scanning, and proximity or magnetic stripe card reading.

Datastrip units are also currently used by police in Harris County, Texas, and Pinellas County, Fla., but Fairfax is the first jurisdiction to use the machines for both fingerprint and photo recognition.

About Datastrip Inc.

Datastrip Inc., Exton, Pa., is a world leader in field-proven mobile identity verification. Together with market-leading biometric and information technology vendors, Datastrip specializes in providing secure portable information and ID solutions that provide on-the-spot verification of credentials from any individual. The Datastrip product line supports biometric fingerprint matching, as well as contact-based and contactless ID cards such as national ID cards and passports.

Datastrip’s DSVII and DSV2+TURBO® biometric/ID card readers are the first handheld single-fingerprint capture devices approved for purchase by federal agencies under the General Services Administration’s FIPS 201 evaluation program. For its work with the DSVII, Datastrip won Frost & Sullivan’s Product Innovation of the Year Award for the smartcards market in 2006.

For more information, visit http://www.datastrip.com or call (800) 548-2517.