Jamaican Firearms Licensing Authority launches biometric ID card

The Firearm Licensing Authority (FLA) in Jamaica has launched a new high security identification card for gun owners in the country.

The new card will reportedly store a photograph of the cardholder as well as fingerprint information. Reported in the Jamaica Information Service, National Security Minister, Hon. Peter Bunting said he is looking forward to gains in law enforcement and security as a result of the implementation of this card, and has also tasked the FLA to develop a smartphone app which ties into this database to verify identity.

“The old booklet was not just cumbersome and inconvenient, but it was very vulnerable to fraud in terms of replacing, tampering with photograph and other information in the booklet,” Bunting said. “So, with the introduction of this card, we hope to eliminate that booklet within one year.”

Project Manager at the FLA, Michael Dixon told the Jamaican Information Service that the card is made up of five different layers with individual security features.

Increasingly, biometrics is a part of the on-going gun control debate. Biometrics Research Group lead researcher, Rawlson King believes biometric gun safes are a good place to start.  

“While any gun control measure will not be able to stop senseless violence, better storage will curb theft, unauthorized use and potentially accidental shootings and suicides,” King writes.

Reported previously in BiometricUpdate, American Senator Dianne Feinstein proposed legislation that would see all gun owners fingerprinted and photographed for positive identification.

As we reported early in 2013, Martin O’Malley, the Democratic Governor of Maryland was set to introduce a package of proposals in an effort to curb gun violence in the state, which included a provision to have prospective gun owners to provide fingerprints to state police.

Article Topics

biometric cards  |  fingerprint biometrics  |  government  |  ID card