A new roadside fingerprinting device is being tested in Austin. Portable fingerprint scanners allow police to scan prints and submit them remotely, helping to identify suspects who are caught without identification.
This article from the Austin-American Statesman says that the devices will be used by about 100 officers beginning around the first of March. Officers will be trained in how to use the machines and more importantly, how to explain them to citizens.
Officers will be asking for consent to take a print if there is no identification present. Interestingly, a refusal could mean a trip to jail, as a lack of identification also often does. read more
This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 24th, 2009 at 2:51 am and is filed under criminal law. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.