Device Will Put Crooks at Cops' Fingertips

FAIRFAX, Va. -- Fairfax County will soon be the first in the nation to use state-of-the-art technology designed to catch crooks who lie to police.

The portable, hand-held device allows police officers to instantaneously identify someone by taking his fingerprints or a digital photo once he is arrested.

"You can break this device out and find out if you're a housewife, or a businessperson, or if you're really wanted by police," Fairfax County Police Lt. Vince Byrd says.

The device can only check a criminal database.

"It's not a public database or a civil database. It's only those who have been arrested on criminal charges," Byrd says.

Currently, officers can only check people with records in Virginia, Maryland and the District. Portable devices that check fingerprints have been in use in several states for years. This is the first time facial recognition technology has been combined with fingerprint technology in the field.

In the future, officers may be able to connect to a national database of wanted criminals.

Fairfax County should have 50 of the devices, which are paid for with federal Homeland Security funds, on the streets within a month. D.C. and several Maryland counties also are expected to get the devices soon.

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