Biometrics
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Law Enforcement
Most people don't realize that biometrics have been an important police and security tool for over 150 years. The fingerprint was recognized early as a unique biometric, and has been central to criminal identification and identity verification. In the past, however, fingerprints had to be captured with ink on paper in central booking stations, sent by mail, courier or fax to repositories to be analyzed by experts, a process that takes hours or days. Now fingerprints have been joined by other biometrics, and new technologies allow biometrics to be captured in the field, for example by police on the beat. These data may be transmitted and compared instantly to vast databases, allowing the cop on the beat to identify an deadbeat dad, escaped felon, or international terrorist.
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