Iris biometric tech added to Niagara County Sheriff patrol vehicles

A United States sheriff’s office on the border with Canada has become one of the first to implement iris biometric identification technology with patrol vehicles.

The Niagara County Sheriff Michael J. Filicetti announced that the Inmate Identification and Recognition System (IRIS.) would be deployed within a patrol vehicle. Previously, the Niagara County Sheriff’s use of the technology had been limited to its county jail. The IRIS is supplied by BI2 Technologies.

“Whether it’s within our Correctional Facility or in the field, the I.R.I.S. helps to ensure a greatly reduced chance of misidentification,” Sheriff Filicetti said. “Now, a Deputy, at a glance, will be able to see if a suspect is within the I.R.I.S. database, and may respond accordingly to any information that search reveals,” he added.

Located in the far west of New York state, Niagara County is home to the popular natural attraction of Niagara Falls and borders the Canadian province of Ontario. B12 Technologies has worked with the National Sheriffs’ Association on a number of biometric identification projects for over a decade.

The lengthy partnership has resulted in more than two-thirds of the 3,100 sheriffs’ offices asking to join IRIS. In addition, last summer, BI2 Technologies offered sheriffs in 31 U.S. border countries free access to its iris biometric-based Mobile Offender Recognition & Information System (MORIS).

IRIS captures over 265 unique characteristics of an individual’s iris thus reducing the chances of misidentification, according to the vendor, and can confirm identities in real time from the patrol vehicle.

“The implementation of I.R.I.S. in patrol vehicles sets a new standard for law enforcement, providing a quick and non-intrusive method to verify identities, and strengthen community security,” said Sean G. Mullin, president and CEO of BI2 Technologies.

Article Topics

BI2 Technologies  |  biometric identification  |  biometrics  |  criminal ID  |  iris biometrics  |  New York  |  police  |  United States