Technology gives police instant ID info

With a quick imprint of a suspect's two fingers on a handheld device, Columbus police can get instant access to the person's identity without making a trip to the booking office. The department announced this week it is testing 40 RapID wireless units it purchased recently for about $3,000 each using a federal Homeland Security grant.
Police say the new technology saves time by eliminating a trip to a downtown booking station. It typically would be used to check the identity of someone without proper ID who uses a name police suspect is not real. A person might not necessarily be arrested as a result of the check, but could be issued a summons or citation depending on the reason he or she was questioned. The system checks the fingerprints against existing prints in a Columbus police database, which includes about 250,000 entries. If there's a match, the officer will receive the person's real name, date of birth, gender and race at the scene.