Fairfax County police on Wednesday rolled out 50 portable face- and fingerprint-scanning devices they say will allow officers to identify anyone with a criminal record in the region.
The $14 million Northern Virginia Automated Fingerprint System, paid for through Department of Homeland Security funds, will be shared with several law enforcement agencies, according to Fairfax County Police Department spokeswoman Camille Neville.
Authorities say they hope the units will allow them to better track criminals throughout the region, with the hopes of solving more cases, aiding anti-gang intelligence gathering and fighting terrorism.
The devices, about the size of a portable camera, can identify a person by taking a photo and scanning two index fingers, according to the department.
Officers held a demonstration of the units at police headquarters on Chain Bridge Road on Tuesday morning.
“We’re the first in the country to have this equipment,” Neville said. “Other departments in the nation have photo recognition or fingerprint identification, but we’re the only ones to have incorporated both together.”
Being subjected to the scan will be voluntary, she said.
At this point, the devices can identify someone who has been arrested in Northern Virginia or the District, but Neville said that soon would expand to show criminal history from Maryland jurisdictions.
“Pretty soon we’re hoping to have a wide variety of mug shots and fingerprints to go through,” she said.
