The Live Scan System

Before the live scan system was used, we used the good old paper and ink method. Contrary to popular belief the ink and paper is used more often than you think. On one of my deployments, in Afghanistan we used ink and paper for clearances, watch list suspects, visas, and suspects in an actual attempted murder. We did not have any new technology over there. So we brought almost 100 people to be finger printed by ink and paper. I assure you with that experience I have a new found affection towards the live scan system. Currently at Peterson Air Force Base we also use the ink method. However, at the Visitor Control Center we use a scanning device called SecuGen Hamster IV. It takes one picture of the pad of the finger then asks you to lift that finger and recapture the same print. One flaw to our scanner is when the two images are compared, if they do not match up you must restart the process. This can be very time consuming especially when we print all visitors entering the base. Being in Colorado with such a dry climate can also have an effect on people’s skin. I have found older adults have dryer hands and cracked finger
For example, “a very dry finger, a very oily finger, in very low humidity, if ridge structure is irregular causing air gasps between ridge and platen, if finger is contaminated (dirt, newsprint, pen or pencil markets, paint, etc.), if the scanner platen becomes coated with oil or if dirt accumulates on it” (The Theory of Live-Scan Fingerprint Imaging, 2002). All of these examples can make it extremely difficult to capture finger prints. If you were to capture a print that was less than favorable and it gets entered into the Automated Fingerprint Identification System you could ultimately end up with a false positive that would lead to a false conviction for a huge spectrum of crimes. With that said false convictions are not unheard of based off of bad