News and insight into biometric identification and authentication

UK police officers to get biometric scanners

Thursday, October 23, 2008

UK police officers will be receiving mobile biometrics scanners by 2010 to use for mobile identification of individuals without having to take a suspect into the station, according to a ZD Net Asia article. The new devices will work on fingerprints at first. However, Geoff Whitaker, CTO of biometrics at the National Policing Improvement Agency, said facial biometric capabilities could be added in the future.

Other capabilities that are being planned for the devices are wireless connectivity with the Police National Computer, immigration, and intelligence databases for quick checks for outstanding warrants on a user. The system is currently being trialed under the name Project Midas and is a follow-up to a similar project trial called Lantern that saw 200 handheld fingerprint scanners being used by police officers.

Read the full story here [end] 

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