Bexar County Streamlines Jail Processes, Increases Public Safety with NEC AFIS and FastID

Successful Deployment of NEC AFIS Technology with FastID Fingerprint and Palmprint Matching System Provides Improved Efficiency in Booking, Identification and Release Processes

Rancho Cordova, Calif.- NEC Corporation of America, a premier provider of IT, network and identity management solutions, has successfully completed implementation of the NEC Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) and FastID Booking and Release Identification solution for the Bexar County Sheriff’s Department in Texas. Installation began in May and was completed in August.

“The deployment process has been exceptionally smooth, on-time and within budget. And, we’re already seeing an improvement in our record retrieval processes,” said David Dunbar, AFIS manager, Bexar County Sheriff’s Office. “We’ve been able to streamline our booking process and eliminate data loss with NEC’s AFIS and FastID system.”

Bexar County Sheriff’s Office had to rely on the Texas Department of Public Safety AFIS for fingerprint matching. By implementing their own system, Bexar County Sheriff’s Office can take advantage of the speed and accuracy of NEC AFIS and FastID and identify an arrestee as soon as they walk in the door without dependence on the Texas Department of Public Safety AFIS. They are now able to get real-time identification from their own system in a matter of seconds. This also provides the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office the ability to run the FastID and palmprint applications and have control over their own databases.

Speed and accuracy in the fingerprint matching and record retrieval process can have a direct effect on public safety. When an arrest is made, the arrestee’s fingerprints are taken, scanned into the system, and matched against fingerprints in the database that are from previous bookings or crime scenes. An arrestee who could be a potentially dangerous criminal might be released back on the street if the matching and retrieval process isn’t completed with the greatest accuracy and within an appropriate timeframe. Now using NEC’s AFIS and FastID application and the NEC AFIS, Bexar County Sheriff’s office can access their own database and match prints in as little as 30 seconds leveraging the highest degree of accuracy available.

“Within the first week we got a hit on the NEC AFIS and FastID system that has provided us with a new lead on an unsolved 1993 homicide case,” notes Melvin Lleras, AFIS operator, Bexar County Sheriff’s Office.

The NEC AFIS and FastID system installed at the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office consists of a core site AFIS with remote and local input devices. The system is fully integrated and supports:
tenprint and latent transactions, palmprint and slap matching;
NEC’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) approved archive system; and
if no local identification is made, they have the option to search both latent and tenprints against the Texas Department of Public Safety AFIS.

“NEC is proud to partner with Bexar County Sheriff’s Office to help them improve public safety through increased efficiencies and accuracies in the booking, identification, and recording process,” said Barry Fisher, vice president, Identification Solutions Division, NEC Corporation of America. “We will continue to bring them the latest and best in biometrics identification technology available.”

Bexar County Sheriff’s Office’s successful deployment of the NEC AFIS and FastID system was a factor in choosing San Antonio as the location for the AFIS Internet User Group Conference, scheduled from August 26-30, 2007. This annual event draws more than 300 NEC AFIS users from around the globe to learn about new AFIS technologies and methodologies. For more information, visit http://www.afis-internet.org.

Bexar County Sheriff’s Office deployment of the NEC MobileID system, also purchased in November 2006, is expected be completed by the end of the year.

The Identification Solutions Division of NEC Corporation of America, a recognized leader in biometrics technologies, has developed some of the first and finest automated methods of identification. IDS delivers the best and most advanced biometrics solutions for law enforcement, government, civil and commercial applications. NEC’s matching algorithms meet and exceed the highest current government standards in identification technology and provide unparalleled accuracy, open system platforms, high capacity and integrated solutions.