Biometric Fingerprint Systems Not Just For Use in Law Enforcement

Of all the biometric techniques available now – from vein recognition to iris recognition to facial recognition – fingerprinting is the oldest and most well-known.  Not just for use in crime scene investigation or heavily secured laboratories anymore, biometric devices are being widely employed throughout various industries now. 
 
While fingerprinting may have started as simply a component of suspect processing and identification within law enforcement scenarios, its use has been used for far more mainstream activities over the past decades. Personal laptops now even come with fingerprint scanners built right into the keyboard. Cars are now being introduced with fingerprint access, to further reduce the “burden” of getting into your car, say, without your keys or remembering a numeric code.
 
Fingerprint recognition is also being used in health club settings for access controol; in places where multiple users log onto shared computers or networks; and as part of a unique identifier for financial transactions. More and more everyday activities involve types of biometric security. Now that the application of these methods continues to expand, we wonder how accurate is it?

Each person has unique, immutable fingerprints. The patterns of our ridges and furrows, as well as our minutiae points, make our fingerprints different from everyone else’s. These make us uniquely quantifiable and verify our identity for security purposes.
 
Some fingerprint systems stop at these measurements, as that is what makes a system AFIS compliant.  But the true leaders in this market take it even further. The most successful technology companies incorporate palm prints, vein recognition, and flexible recording options into a comprehensive fingerprint system, where breaching is practically unheard of.  Add a more than 100,000 record database, varied search capabilities and 100% non-manual interaction, and the risk of unreliability is extremely diminished.
 
While no system is ever 100% infallible, the right combination of screening methods can provide utmost security and authenticity. And nothing happens in a vacuum. Human interaction, in addition to state of the art gadgets is the best way to protect against vulnerability.  After all, that’s what happens when I lose my car keys – I call someone on my very high-tech phone.

Tips on Staying Safe During this Most Wonderful Time of the Year

We wouldn't be a true public safety company if this time of year didn't conjure up a little alarmist in us all. Halloween with its kids' safety issues. Thanksgiving with its kitchen, deep fryer and drinking issues. And Christmas with the fire hazards and burglary potential. We would like to remind you all that once you strip away the technologies (the body worn video, the smart cameras, the biometric applications) -- the one fundamental goal for all in law enforcement is to keep you safe. Read on for holiday-specific tips and reminders.

Yes, Halloween has passed. We reminded you through our Facebook page to keep the kids safe, and to stay on well-lit and well-traveled streets. Well that holds true for this time of year in general. With the clocks set back and the darkness setting in sooner, it's getting easier to lose track of those neighborhood playdates.

Please remind your children to be home earlier. A cul-de-sac football game that starts right after school could easily go until 5 or 6 o'clock at night without the energetic players taking a breather. But now it's dark even before 5 o'clock. Make sure there is enough light where the kids are playing so that cars will notice them easily. Better yet, make an afternoon curfew to get the kids home before dusk. If this means swapping their homework time to after dinner, instead of right after school, that may be your best bet to escape any resistance on this new plan. Just take extra precautions with the early darkness and the potential desolation of darkened neighborhood streets.

As for Thanksgiving, lots of unwatched pots are boiling. An extremely hot deep fryer may even be sizzling away. And houseguests are coming, going, "helping", distracting and interrupting. We have a lot on our minds -- just make sure that safety in cooking is one of them. Set and adhere to timers. Assign jobs out to other guests, and make sure they follow up on them.

And watch the amount of alcohol. A glass or two of wine with dinner is one thing. But there are people that start drinking first thing in the morning (kegs and eggs, anyone?), and don't stop until right before they leave their host's house for the night. As the host, you have an obligation not to over serve. So take guests up on their offers to help in the kitchen and with the grill outside. You have more to focus on than just the presentation of a perfectly cooked turkey.

Then there's Christmas. Obviously we know by now that dry Christmas trees and exorbitant amounts of lights left unattended do not mix. Be careful with your decorations. Do not overload any outlets. Don’t leave lights on over night or when you are away from home. And do not place your tree too close to heating ducts that will expedite the drying process or even pieces of furniture that will burn if in fact a small fire does occur. Also make sure smoke detectors have fresh batteries and sprinklers (if your house is equipped with them) are in working order.

Also be extra cautious with your belongings, your car and your house. This time of year people are desperate for extra money and it is prime break-in season. Keep doors locked and alarms on at all times. Use a hidden safe to store expensive items and extra cash. The news is already reporting a rash of burglaries in South Shore towns of Massachusetts. Now is the time to prepare and be vigilant.

Be aware of your surroundings, when walking through darkened parking lots, and keep your cell phone handy in case you need to call 911 immediately. Always lock doors as soon as you enter your car -- try to only unlock the driver's door if you are alone. Diligence and observation are your best defenses, so don't text while you are walking to your car, or even while you are idling in the parking lot. Get in and start moving. Don't make yourself an easy target.

This time is year is filled with joy, excitement, happiness and expectations. And the more we arm ourselves with proper preparedness, common sense and proactive organization, the more we can actually enjoy it. So remember these pointers, and prepare to have a safe and secure winter season.

Would Legislation Be Un-Social?

I read today that technologies are making our younger generations less equipped to do things on their own, i.e. use a paperback thesaurus, tie their own shoes, remove ice cubes from a tray. Is this because online wordfinders, velcro shoes and automatic icemakers have made these needs obsolete -- or is it that they spend so much time Googling, Facebooking, Tweeting, etc. that little time is left for real interaction and physical "doing"?

I would argue it's combination of both, born from a constant attachment to IPhone, Androids, Blackberries and some, still their laptops.

I am not here to judge whether time spent online is hindering or helping their socialization, common sense or educational progress. I am sure there is data to argue both sides of that debate. But when online time overtakes offline time -- we now text more than we call; we teleconference and online chat a whole lot more than we business travel-- we need to examine the law enforcement ramifications.

When an investigation is underway, law enforcement personnel utilize monitoring techniques and surveillance systems to record conversations and phonecalls. But when criminals elect to text rather than talk, or kidnappers Skype their demands, we are unequivocally behind the technology times. Presently, there is no way to access these types of communications in real time, severely hindering criminal investigations -- especially those involving suspected terrorism.

The Obama administration is seeking to remedy this disadvantage with its initiative to require social media and voice-over-technology companies to build in a way for law enforcement personnel to monitor these types of communication, when the need calls for it. As of now, applications such as Facebook, Twitter, Sykpe and others do not have this capability.

Always sensitive to the personal privacy versus public safety argument, the FBI, Justice Department and National Security Council, remind us that this is not a new, more expansive stance -- yet an extension of the already existing CALEA Act of 1987 which grants court-ordered access to telecommunications methods during criminal investigations.

I am not sure why this proposal has been bandied about for the past two years without any real movement taken. As the discussions have occurred, the prevalence of social media and encryption technologies has skyrocketed over the same time period. Law enforcement's reach into these media has been well outpaced by the actual media themselves.

So while some public safety software and equipment companies are utilizing these innovative and cutting edge technologies to prevent and report on crimes, shouldn't we also be able to monitor those applications that may be used to counter our very advancements? The technology should even playing fields -- and when there's an advantage to be given, shouldn't it be on the side of law enforcement, and not just on the side of the Velcro-wearing, ice-cube ignorant uber-online addicts?

New Type of Shooters Go to Jail...Videotaping police leads to time behind bars

iPhones, Smartphones, Dime-sized video cameras. Even kid-focused Nintendo DS's and candy-colored Nickelodeon-character video recorders. Personal videotaping devices are more portable and easy-to-use than ever. The primary purpose of these devices -- pure entertainment (though the woman caught on tape, who attacked a McDonald's worker over morning Chicken McNuggets may think otherwise). Videotaping amongst children doing pop-a-wheelies on their bikes is one thing. But what about videotaping that is far from child's' play -- like police officer encounters?

There have been several newsworthy occurrences of alleged illegal wiretapping of police officers lately. This recent trend can be directly correlated to the smartphone craze. Always handy, the cell phone has recorded police arrests, altercations, and police interrogations that otherwise would have gone undocumented. And when the police officers realize the recording is taking place, some situations become even more argumentative.

Take Tasha Ford, for instance, a South Florida woman who was jailed for "eavesdropping" when she, along with her video camera-phone, approached police that had handcuffed her son in a parking lot for allegedly trying to sneak into a movie without a ticket. The police told her it was illegal to record someone without them being aware. She quickly responded ,"My name is Tasha Ford and I am recording you." The police abandoned the trite charge against her son, and changed their focus to Ms. Ford, arresting her under Florida's electronic surveillance law.

"What's the big deal?" one might ask. If a police officer is doing his or her duty, that officer should have no beef with the fact that a recording is being made of the actions, right? After all, police and government work for US, the people. Not the other way around. It could be argued that the more transparent and out in the open the law enforcement exchanges are, the better.

But is that what is really happening? Or are these recordings problematic under the Wiretap Act, which prohibits all wiretapping of citizens without a warrant from a three-judge court? Mostly, this Act pertains to the videotaping of private matters, and without the other person's consent. It could be argued that police matters are always public matters serving the public interest. But what about receiving their consent? It is a murky area, that has been argued under many different circumstances in many state and federal courts.

No consent was given to Anthony Graber, a Maryland National Guard officer, before he videotaped his traffic stop from his motorcycle helmet and released it onto YouTube. He is now facing up to 16 years in jail for violating the state's wiretap laws, for recording the state trooper that pulled him over, without his consent. The fact that the recording shows the trooper cutting Graber off and pulling his revolver on him during the traffic stop could have added fuel to the fire. We also don't have the context of these actions to get the whole unadulterated story of the incident -- just Graber's video portrayal.

One of the arguments against videotaping of police activities by civilians is that no one can be sure that the original recording has not been altered after the fact. Editing software is just as easy and commonplace as the video recording devices themselves. It wouldn't take much for a grudge-wielding accessory to a crime, or any editing novice to completely change the sentiment or "evidence" within the recording, and then release it to news organizations to influence an ongoing investigation.

The major point seems to be the potential inconsistencies and varying points of subjective views that one civilian's video may have toward a police officer or ongoing case. And it seems the only satisfactory way to deal with these issues is to continue barring civilians from filming and capturing police scenes themselves. A government-sanctioned, police-endorsed product that records, that cannot be overridden or edited, and that expertly captures the entire encounter, both video- and audio-wise, needs to be the only acceptable media for such endeavors.

Hunter Systems Group's body worn video recorder, Hunter iCapture(TM) does just that. Its high quality picture, audio and remote operating capabilities make it a best-in-class alternative to grainy, inaudible and indecipherable recordings by civilians or lesser products. It's worn comfortably by officers in any situation, whether a routine traffic stop or a more active S.W.A.T-scenario, and is not susceptible to any after-the-fact rogue editing.

Because it is password-protected and technologically superior to any other handheld or personal video recording mechanism in existence, there is no reason to use anything but Hunter iCapture. Additionally, the camera device may be mounted in the police cruiser as an in car video or may easily be detached to act as a body worn video recorder. The more universal the operating system for police departments, security organizations, border patrols, and any other crime-prevention entities, the better and more useful the evidence.

If police wear these types of cameras, citizens like Ms. Ford and Mr. Graber wouldn't feel the need to pirate their own recordings, getting themselves into even more trouble than the initial instigation. In the meantime, let's save the iPhone and handheld cameras for what they were intended --the birthday parties and pop-a-wheelies. And the occasional drive-through debacle.

Solving the Dangers of the Gadget Police Car

In a recent New York Times Piece by Matt Richtel, the dangers of the "gadget" police car were analyzed. The police vehicles described in Richtel's series were equipped with sophisticated computers, GPS systems and radio systems, all requiring attention that took attention away rom driving. Not surprisingly, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has made the professional distracted driving issue a current day cause celebre; although he stopped short of accusing law enforcement professionals from engaging in acts of distracted driving.

But to combat the ever increasing sophisticated criminal element, these tools are necessary to fight this increasingly alarming type of criminal. Countless lives have been saved by police officers able to run license plate numbers, radio in suspicious activities, exchange messages with dispatchers or fellow officers and locate their own and their targets' whereabouts. Many agencies and departments will justify the added technologies by confirming rules related to said technology's usage. Unfortunately, for police officers in hot pursuit or even just responding to an innocuous call, these guidelines are just that - guidelines.

Reconciling the risks of distracted driving with the need for our police forces to employ all tools in their arsenal is our goal. Because, no matter what side of the issue you are on, use of one's cellphone, computer and radio are necessary components of a law enforcement personnel's job description in modern day crime fighting.

One solution is to automate the flow of information that the police officer requires in order to properly conduct his activities. If a police officer can call up information on a vehicle, review the driver's license of a suspect, or report suspicious activity without having to look down to type a license plate number or reach for his radio, the issue of police officer distracted driving will be diminished. Eyes are kept where they should be - on the road, and the risks of unintended accidents or damage are practically eliminated.

Hunter Systems Group is developing the proprietary technology to make this a reality. Contact your local Hunter Systems Group representative to find out more of this innovative technology, or visit us at http://www.huntersystemsgroup.com/.

NIST Grants as a Tool to Afford IT Equipment and Software

Many police departments and other law enforcement agencies have been feeling the pinch of the economic crisis of the last two years. Federal, State and local budgets are shrinking, and law enforcement agencies have had to make due with less. As budgets shrink, these agencies start having to make hard decisions about what are necessary expenditures to ensure public safety and what are expenditures that must wait for better times. Unfortunately, the purchase of new and updated IT equipment, hardware and software falls under the "wait for better times" expenditures. As criminals and their activity become more and more sophisticated and high tech, however, this belief systems begins to threaten public safety in and of itself.

There are Federal and State programs out there, however, that provide much needed funds to police departments and governmental agencies to purchase this type of much needed equipment and to assist in other research that a law enforcement agency might consider undertaking. One such program is the Grant Program through the Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology.

This program, administered through the grants.gov program, is seeking applications for grants for FY2010, which ends on June 30, 2010 (except for Fire Research Grant, which expired earlier this year). The categories of grants that government agencies are eligible for include the following:

(1) Electronics and Electrical Engineering Laboratory (EEEL);

(2) the Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory (MEL);

(3) the Chemical Science and Technology Laboratory (CSTL);

(4) the Physics Laboratory;

(5) the Materials Science and Engineering Laboratory (MSEL);

(6) the Building Research Grants and Cooperative Agreements Program;

(7) the Fire Research Program;

(8) the Information Technology Laboratory (ITL) Program;

(9) the NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR);

(10) Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST); and

(11) Technology Services (TS).

It appears that governmental agencies seeking to employ the latest software and hardware to augment its capabilities should review the Technology Services portion of the program which provides grants for "software/hardware needed to collect data of inspection records/results." Applications should be received by NIST prior to June 1, 2010 to ensure that the application is considered for the FY2010 program.

For assistance or further information on applying for the NIST grants pursuant to the grants.gov program, contact us at http://huntersystemsgroup.com/.