Hands up: mobile finger printing
Police officers across the UK will soon be able to check an individual's identity at the roadside within two minutes, following the introduction of a new mobile fingerprinting device later this year
The National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) has signed a contract with Cogent Systems to supply mobile fingerprint identification devices which will allow police officers to scan a person's fingerprints while on the beat and check them against the national fingerprint database for verification.
This will enable faster identification of those whose details are verified without having to take up much of their time, and also quickly identify those who are known to the police. This will save the public's time, police officer's time and help increase the number of offenders brought to justice.
During the first year of roll-out, up to 3,000 new devices will be deployed to forces in England and Wales, helping to cut the number of trips police make back to the police station and giving them more time to spend on the frontline.
