Baltimore Police to implement biometric time and attendance to prevent overtime fraud

The Baltimore Police Department want officers to scan their fingerprints at the beginning and end of shifts to prove they’ve worked the hours claimed on their payslips, according to a report in The Baltimore Sun.

Department spokesperson T.J. Smith said the department is in the early phases of implementing the biometric technology, but do not have an estimate for when officers will begin using it or how much the system will cost.

According to the report, the move comes amid the ongoing federal trial of two Gun Trace Task Force officers whose colleagues have admitted to rampant overtime fraud.

Smith said implementing the biometric system is about “instilling a layer of trust in the community that we are doing something” about the vulnerability of the current paper-based overtime and payroll system to fraud.

He added that the logistics for the new biometric program have not all been worked out, but the department is confident it will improve its payroll process.

According to research by TSheets, the U.S. economy loses $373 million a year to time theft.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  fingerprint authentication  |  fraud prevention  |  law enforcement  |  time and attendance