Fingerprint technology allows troopers to identify possible criminals quickly

Missouri Highway Patrol troopers were able to arrest a man wanted for rape after using a technology that allows them to fingerprint someone in the field.

Cpt. John Hotz said a trooper stopped the man on the interstate and he produced an identification card that didn’t look right. The trooper thought it might be fraudulent and asked him to use a two-finger identification system.

“In less than 10 second’s time, we had truly identified the individual, as well as found out they had a warrant for rape that was four years old,” said Hotz.

The Highway Patrol rolled out the device in October 2011 and have about 165 of them in use. They are a small handheld device where someone gets one finger on each hand scanned, and then a trooper can plug it into a computer to search the state or federal database.

It’s designed to identify people who have no identification or might be trying to mislead law enforcement.

“You’re identifying the person but you’re also able to check the person through our system in Missouri as well as through the FBI’s system to see if there are any outstanding warrants or activities with that person,” said Hotz.

It’s a time-saver but it’s not just a tool to determine wrongdoing. Law enforcement can use it to identify deceased victims during criminal or crash investigations.

Troopers said that if the technology had been available just a few months earlier, they would have been able to identify 85 victims of the Joplin tornado on the site more quickly.

It may have saved many families the fear and worry while they waited on the old way, which included rolling the fingerprints manually and sending them back to the closest law enforcement station.

“You could make that identification much quicker, and bring closure to everybody that’s involved in the situation,” said Hotz.

The patrol only uses the device when needed and averages about 1,000 searches a month. They get a hit about 70 percent of the time.

There are 600 devices in use across the state by multiple agencies. The Boone County Sheriff’s Department confirmed it has a couple that deputies use fairly often.

St. Louis County and city law enforcement officers use it on people before they discharge them from jail to make sure they aren’t sending people with active warrants back onto the streets.