Biometrics key to future of police crime fighting

Biometrics and a database of violent criminals and sex offenders are at the heart of the police's use of technology to fight crime over the next five years.

The details are revealed in the five-year forward plan of the Police Information Technology Organisation (PITO).

A biometrics research and demonstration lab will be established on PITO premises by February next year to look at the viability of various biometric technologies, according to the document.

A PITO spokesman told silicon.com: "Biometrics is going to be increasingly important but we're still unsure where it is ultimately going to take us."

The National Automated Fingerprint Identification Service (Nafis) is also set to be enhanced when the current contract expires next year. It will be developed into an automated fingerprint and palm print identification service, codenamed Ident1, which will allow for the future integration of additional biometric capabilities.

Facial and voice recognition technology could also be on the cards with PITO due to establish the business case for a facial images national database by next month.

"Biometrics, including facial and voice recognition, will be investigated," said the document.

The violent and sex offenders register (Visor) is being developed in-house by PITO staff and contractors and two pilots will be run in November this year. It will then be rolled out to forces from January 2004.

The development of a system to exchange information across Europe on wanted criminals, stolen vehicles and missing persons is also due to be ready for operational use by March next year.