Palm Prints Gaining Gavor With Police
More and more police departments across the country are turning to digital systems to collect and compare offenders’ palm prints. So far, approximately 30 law enforcement agencies in the United States have implemented digital palm print filing systems, and the FBI is mulling the creation of a nationwide palm print database.
Some areas such as Harris County, Texas, Los Angeles, Miami, Philadelphia, Indianapolis, and Palm Beach have initiated the process of acquiring computerized systems.
But the sheriff’s office in Montgomery County, Texas, uses a traditional ink print filing system for archiving palm prints, which now number in the thousands. “I’d rather do it the manual way,” asserts Sgt. B.W. Emmons with the sheriff’s office, who believes ink prints are clearer than digital prints, are less expensive, and allow agencies to retain print specialists.
Live Scan is currently the most prevalent digital palm scanning tool used by U.S. law enforcement agencies. Emmons notes that “not many” agencies take palm prints, even though they are likely to comprise up to 50 percent of crime scene prints.
Montgomery County Sheriff Guy Williams concedes that if prices fall and quality improves among digital systems, the department may considering migrating to the technology.
Abstracted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center(NLECTC) from the Houston Chronicle (01/15/04) P. 1; Bier, Charlie.