Photos: Cops use tech to point the finger of suspicion

The machine takes a scan of a person's left and right index finger, as seen here, which are matched against the 7.5 million sets of fingerprint samples in Ident1.

Around 80 per cent of searches are returned in two minutes and 97 per cent are returned in five minutes.

Data from the scan is sent over the GPRS network via an encrypted virtual private network, as the police's dedicated Airwave network is unable to carry enough data.

Photo credit: NPIA

Matches are ranked as high or medium confidence, as seen here, where high confidence is a match of 95 per cent accuracy.

For less confident matches three possible identities will be sent back. The system returns the person's name, age and gender, which can help establish an identity in such cases.

Under Project Midas it is hoped to add the ability to send mug shots to the handheld device.

Whitaker said that none of the information used in the check is retained.

Photo credit: NPIA

"People have been stopped who have presented legitimate looking passports or driving licences but a fingerprint check has found them recorded with a different name.

"It has later been found that these were forged documents or the person has changed their name by deed poll and assumed another identity," Whitaker said.

As well as use with ANPR cameras, as seen here, Whitaker added that the mobile system is useful for reducing the chance of wrongful arrest, for identifying dead people, for use in unequipped rural police stations and during large gatherings or events.

Photo credit: NPIA