First Responder/Public Safety: Biographic and Biometric Systems Assisting Law Enforcement - Looking to the Future
(Room :Room 20-21)
21 Sep 16
10:15 AM
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11:00 AM
NCIC:
Since its inception in 1967 and modernization in 2000, NCIC has employed many systematic enhancements to continue to meet the needs of its local, state, federal, and tribal partners. As the life cycle of NCIC 2000 nears its end, the FBI's CJIS Division is preparing for the next major upgrade, known as NCIC Third Generation, or N3G. The N3G project will modernize and expand the existing NCIC system so that it continues to provide real-time, accurate, and complete criminal justice information in support of the law enforcement and criminal justice communities.
In June 2016, the CJIS APB approved 14 high-level concepts to be explored for improvement of NCIC:
• Migration to a flexible data format
• Tailored functionality
• Access to other data repositories
• Improved name search algorithm
• Enhanced data search capabilities
• Enhanced system search capabilities
• Enhanced training resources
• Enhanced testing resources
• Modernized record content
• Enhanced multimedia
• Improved data management
• Alternative outbound communications
• Alternative access
• Improved outbound communications.
Under its shared management process, the FBI's CJIS Division welcomes input and feedback on the current NCIC system and its planned enhancements from federal, state, local, and tribal NCIC users, as well as the vendor community. The N3G project team conducted a broad-reaching user canvass in 2015-2016, as well as a Vendor Day in 2016 to capture the business cases for operational improvements. Continued contributions and suggested refinements to the proposed N3G system, particularly from direct users, are encouraged.
RISC:
Mobile fingerprint technology enables law enforcement to identify the status of individuals and within seconds, assess the threat level of subjects. The deployment of RISC began mobile fingerprint identification operations on a national level and equipped law enforcement with the capability to concurrently search a local database and a subset of a national database using a single mobile ID device. Mobile fingerprint capabilities will increase in value if future enhancements are supported through policy and funding, such as expanding data set searches and upgrading mobile fingerprint capture equipment.
Advancing mobile fingerprint technology and the RISC capability requires an increase in participation, an expansion of the data set searched, and upgrades in the capture equipment used by law enforcement agencies. RISC is currently connected in 22 states and is on pace to have connectivity to 50 states in under five years. One of the main obstacles to this expansion is the lack of funding at the state/local level. Even so, RISC still expects a steady advancement in the program.
The national law enforcement user community, through the FBI's CJIS APB, has identified a critical need to increase the mobile rapid search of data within the criminal master file gallery. The FBI is currently exploring this option as well as cascading a RISC search to other external repositories. Although rapid mobile fingerprint ID has already proven to be a useful tool, the following steps need to be taken to advance this capability:
1. Increase participation - This can be accomplished through peer-to-peer marketing and sharing success stories about the value of a rapid mobile fingerprint ID capability. This approach applies especially to targeting states that have not yet deployed mobile identification or connected to RISC.
2. Expand the data set searched - Efforts to expand repositories and cascade searches to additional repositories are under way. Accuracy and throughput are the major concerns associated with this expansion.
3. Improve mobile fingerprint devices - Agencies deploying mobile fingerprint ID systems need to be aware of the impact on search accuracy when selecting mobile ID devices. The design and development of devices with larger Fingerprint Acquisition Profile levels is needed for a proper expansion of this capability.
Face Recognition:
Face recognition is a key component of the growing biometric identification platform and has matured into a sophisticated investigative instrument. Several advancements and initiatives have propelled face recognition technology into the spotlight. Face recognition can be used both for verification and to assist in the identification process. It aids in public safety, and its use is increasing as an essential investigative tool. Law enforcement routinely uses this technology to establish or verify the identity of unknown subjects.
Face recognition software has had an undeniable impact on investigations. This capability is still in the development phase. To move forward, a face recognition database under constant development and improvement with interoperability capabilities is required. A database of this magnitude cannot be created and maintained without funding and the willingness of multiple agencies to share their data, as the ability to capture and gather that data will inevitably make the data more valuable.
The future holds endless opportunities for face recognition, and with support, this tool can be further enhanced to assist first responders and public safety professionals. Law enforcement budgets face challenges to upgrading and maintaining face recognition technology. The face recognition system hosted by the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office in Florida was initially funded with grant money. The system is now maintained by the Sheriff's Office. Face recognition has proven to be of assistance to officers and thus, despite budget obstacles, there is a desire to advance it. Grant funding is crucial for to growth and support.
Keeping current and improving face recognition technology is vital to expanding its use, as is interfacing with multiple data sources and improving data source image quality. Equipment that captures video/images at a higher resolution and the consideration of camera placement are essential to retrieving an image of value. Data compatibility between different organizations should be considered and encouraged. Regarding policy, the willingness of agencies to share information and simplifying the search request process are key. Through the determination and commitment of the private, public, and standard-bearing sectors, the growth and progress of face recognition technology should continue to increase.