Fast Capture Fingerprinting

Standard fingerprinting techniques require a fingerprint technician to grasp an individual's hand and roll each finger across a fingerprint card or scanner. This technique takes several minutes, requires a trained technician, and does not capture an imprint of the side of the hand or the palm—two areas of the hand from which investigators often find prints at crime scenes. NIJ has funded researchers to develop, evaluate, and improve the way fingerprints are taken to address these problems:

Faster and Better Fingerprinting. The Fast Capture Initiative has the goal of creating tools and techniques that will capture the same images as 10 rolled fingerprints in less than 15 seconds and both palm prints in less than 1 minute.

Mobile Fingerprint Technology. A mobile fingerprinting device allows officers to learn on the spot a suspect's history and whether a suspect is likely to resist arrest.