Iowa police to implement MorphoTrak digital fingerprinting system

Police officers in Keokuk, Iowa will soon implement a new digital fingerprinting system to identify suspects and criminals, according to a report by WGEM.

The MorphoTrak digital fingerprinting system will generate higher quality digital prints, as well as eliminate errors such as duplicate images that would sometimes take weeks for police to notice with the previous paper and ink fingerprinting system.

Although the report did not specify the system’s vendor, the WGEM news video clip displays the Morpho (Safran) logo on the screen of the fingerprinting system.

Keokuk Police previously used a paper and ink fingerprinting system, which sent prints to state and federal agencies for records.

The process was tedious to say the least, often taking weeks to process the prints. In comparison, MorphoBIS is expected to process digital prints within hours.

“They’re graded right then and there by that image that they just had taken,so they can redo that process,” Whitaker said. “The less time officers need to spend inside the building, working on paperwork, documentation and redoing and more time out on the street and patrolling, is beneficial to the community.”

The new digital fingerprinting system will be fully rolled out this fall, while state officials will help train Keokuk officers on the new system.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  fingerprint technology  |  live scan fingerprints  |  MorphoTrak  |  police