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Palm print system a hit
A palm print capability within the Automated Fingerprint Information
System (AFIS) proved its worth before it was even officially commissioned.
Manager of the National Fingerprint Office in Wellington, Eugene
Wall, says the system was operational from mid April, and in its
first week 15 hits were made from crime scenes where only palm prints
were left.
The database was officially launched at a function on 18 May attended
by five executives from Japanese company NEC, which provided the
hardware and software.
The palm print project began last year and provides an electronic
database of palm prints for matching to prints taken at crime scenes,
says Eugene. A total of 15 temporary staff spent more than five months
based in a secure building in Wellington back capturing 280,000 palm
prints – scanning prints into the computer and recording the
appropriate details. “They exceeded everyone’s expectations,” says
Eugene. “We estimated they would back capture 100,000 prints.”
The system went live in mid-April and in the first three weeks 150
hits had been made, including prints taken from several unsolved
aggravated robberies. Eugene says New Zealand Police has one of the
highest fingerprint hit rates using a computer, and largest palm
print databases in the world.
It is estimated the palm print data base will grow by 28,000 ‘new
skins’ (first time offenders) a year.
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