In a move which has provoked an array of different emotions it has been announced that UK police forces will be in possession of hand held finger print scanners from 2010. The move which will cost tax payers in the region of £40 million is the latest stage in the integration of new technology to allow officers to stay in the community for longer.
Currently those arrested or detained have to be taken back to a police suite in order to compare their finger print records with the 7.5 million records currently on file, but this device cuts that whole process out of the equation. At the scene of a crime or a possible arrest the officers will now be able to scan a suspect's finger prints on the device which will then interact with the main police database, via a secure encrypted data link, and check for matches.
While the civil rights campaigners are up in arms at the move there seems very little difference between taking a finger print at the scene than taking someone ‘down to the station'. The £40 million expense of the system will be chicken feed compared to increased efficiency savings. |
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