|Newsletter NCIC 2000 - Linking It All Together

      March 22, 1996
        Volume 1, Number 2

      Fingerprint Images

      Introduction
        The FBI has received numerous
        questions on the use of fingerprint images with NCIC 2000 files.
        NCIC users at regional working groups and the Advisory Policy
        Board (APB) have expressed concern over the Federal Bureau of
        Investigation's (FBI) decision to develop software and hardware
        for two different fingerprint matching capabilities. One is to
        be used for the NCIC 2000 system and the other is to be used
        for the Integrated Automated
        Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS). This issue will
        address these questions and concerns. Additionally, this issue
        provides information concerning fingerprint images and files
        and the requirements for the NCIC 2000 fingerprint scanner.
        Questions and Answers
        Q:Why did NCIC 2000 include fingerprint matching
        functions?
        A:In response to the APB direction, the FBI is
        developing an NCIC 2000 system that will provide law enforcement
        with enhanced and expanded NCIC information. In order to improve
        the identification of individuals who present no identification
        or are suspected of presenting fraudulent identification, the
        APB voted to include a single fingerprint matching capability
        in the NCIC 2000 system. This matching capability has an exceptionally
        low error rate requirement and will provide the law officer with
        online, instantaneous and accurate identification of individuals
        who are currently listed in the wanted, convicted, missing and
        unidentified persons files.
        Q:How does NCIC 2000 use these fingerprint image
        inquiries?
        A:The NCIC 2000 fingerprint matching system will
        allow input of a live-scanned single right index fingerprint
        at a booking station or from a squad car. A rolled ink single
        index print may also be scanned and entered from a personal computer
        workstation device. The system captures the print image, extracts
        the minutiae and other important topological data and compacts
        the image data. It then sends all of that information to the
        NCIC 2000 to determine if a match can be made.
        Q:What are the system design constraints?
        A:In many systems, the mobile channel will have
        a low capacity and must be shared with many users. Therefore,
        the radio transmission must be very fast over the channel.
        Q:What does all that mean?
        A:NCIC 2000 captures the minimal data needed
        by the matcher (i.e., minutiae and ridge contour data). The data
        is then compacted and transported over the mobile radio bandwidths
        in a minimal amount of time. Compression routines, such as WSQ
        and JPEG, create compressed images that are too large to transmit
        in reasonable time frames.
        Q:But doesn't IAFIS use WSQ standards for fingerprints?
        A:Yes. However, IAFIS does not have the design
        constraint of radio transmission. As mentioned above, WSQ compressed
        images are too large to send over a radio channel in a short
        period of time.
        Q:Based on a fingerprint search, can we get criminal
        history records through NCIC 2000?
        A:No. NCIC 2000 was never intended or designed
        to be an IAFIS conduit. NCIC 2000 provides quick responses for
        inquiries into a much smaller database than IAFIS.
        Q:Summary criminal history is important to us. Can
        NCIC 2000 be redesigned to allow for fingerprint based criminal
        history inquiries?
        A:The two systems fingerprint files are not compatible.
        Furthermore, even if they were compatible, IAFIS only supports
        single digit search capabilities as latent submissions.
        Applicable NCIC Files
        Like the current NCIC system,
        NCIC 2000 will maintain many files that are necessary for agencies
        and officers to perform their vital functions. Not all records
        maintained by NCIC 2000 will have an associated fingerprint image.
        Some files are not specific to a particular person and some person
        files may not have had a fingerprint image available when entered
        into the computer. The following is a table of those files that
        may associate a fingerprint image with the data record.

      File Name 
          DescriptionWanted Persons: 
          This file contains information
            about outstanding federal warrants, serious misdemeanor or felony
            warrants, and probation and parole violators for serious misdemeanors
            or felonies.Convicted Person on Supervised
            Release: 
          This file will contain information
            about people who are currently on parole or on supervised mandatory
            release from a correctional facility.Missing Person: 
          This file contains information
            about people who are missing that are disabled, juvenile, victims
            of catastrophe, subjects whose disappearance appears to be involuntary,
            and subjects whose disappearance indicates that their personal
            safety is in jeopardy.Unidentified Person: 
          This file contains information
            about unidentified deceased persons, persons who are living and
            unable to ascertain their identities, unidentified catastrophe
            victims, and body parts when a body has been dismembered.

      Equipment Needs
        The NCIC 2000 Fingerprint Matching
        System is composed of the following equipment and software:
        Printrak fingerprint matching
        array processors and software attached to the NCIC 2000 host;
        Two Digital Biometrics, Incorporated,
        live-scan devices. One is designed specifically for the Workstation
        (a personal computer at a booking station), and another, more
        compact scanner for the squad car's Mobile Image Unit (MIU);
        A Tamarack scanner for rolled
        ink prints and other identifying images attached to a workstation
        personal computer, and;
        Minutiae extraction and image
        processing software that may be loaded into the personal computer
        as part of the user application software suite, or, if so desired,
        be provided as firmware on a personal computer specialized board
        (the IPScard).
        It is the FBI's intent to provide
        federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies with the greatest
        degree of flexibility in implementing the NCIC 2000 fingerprint
        matching capability. For example, the FBI will offer all specially
        developed software free of charge to NCIC 2000 users. Local agencies
        must insure their use of these capabilities is consistent with
        their state systems. The fingerprint matching equipment listed
        above has been specifically and uniquely designed for the NCIC
        2000 system. The FBI recognizes that vendor competition leads
        to technological advancements. However, in order to ensure and
        maintain the quality and integrity of the NCIC 2000 system, the
        FBI will require agencies to obtain vendor and manufacturer certification
        that their hardware meets or exceeds all NCIC 2000 requirements
        prior to purchase and implementation. To help you, as well as
        give you some early insight, the following is a list of the NCIC
        2000 scanner device requirements:
        The minimum area size for a single
        fingerprint must be .88" horizontally and 1.2" vertically.
        The maximum area size for a single fingerprint must be 1.6"
        horizontally and 1.5" vertically.
        The spatial sampling frequency
        should be at least 500 pixels per inch.
        The minimum image dimensions
        must be at least 440 pixels horizontally by 600 pixels vertically
        by 8-bits per pixel gray-scale.
        The scanner must provide adequate
        quality such that minutiae may be extracted reliably from the
        images or the flat live-scan fingerprint image may be visually
        compared to a conventionally obtained (i.e., inked) fingerprint
        image.
        The scanner must provide a diagnostic
        procedure that allows periodic checks by non-technical personnel
        to determine if the scanner is in compliance with their specifications
        and that is either fully automated or incorporated within the
        scanner control logic to be performed at discretion of the operator.
        Conclusion
        Compared to the overall advancements
        in the automation industry, computer fingerprint matching and
        other identifying image capabilities are relatively new technologies.
        Today's improvements in equipment hardware, storage devices and
        increased speeds of computer processors have significantly advanced
        the practical application of image technology. Of the most benefit
        is the application of this technology to law enforcement. Even
        though national crime statistics are showing downward trends,
        the "bad guys" that are out there are more mobile and
        dangerous. The FBI is committed to improving its services and
        will continue to enhance its automation capabilities to support
        law enforcement. Harris, for example, is working with the FBI
        in developing a logistics and business management plan that will
        identify continued improvements to the type of NCIC 2000 products
        and capabilities offered for the immediate and future life cycle
        of the system. The FBI intends to make this plan available to
        and solicit input and comments from all system users before the
        end of 1996.
        Harris, on its own, has already
        begun exploring new avenues of improvement. For example, Harris
        has demonstrated a still-frame camera that can capture and hold
        up to 37 images. This device is small enough to be carried in
        a pocket and hooked to a belt. The camera's captured images may
        be downloaded to the NCIC 2000 software application suite at
        a booking station, for example, via a common coupling device
        hooked to the personal computer's RS 232 port. The camera also
        utilizes the J-PEG image compression standard. This camera device
        has not been incorporated in the FBI-Harris NCIC 2000 contract,
        but represents the kind of potential improvements and flexibility
        in the system's capabilities that the FBI is hoping for.

      State Your Opinion

      This space is provided for
        authorized criminal justice agencies to provide commentary, questions,
        or suggestions. We will provide an answer to all questions. If
        you would like to submit an article, send it to:
        Federal Bureau
        of Investigation
        Attn: Ms. Katina Mackall
        Room 9504
        NCIC 2000 Program Office
        935 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
        Washington, DC 20535

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      | | File Name                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | Description | Wanted Persons: | This file contains information
            about outstanding federal warrants, serious misdemeanor or felony
            warrants, and probation and parole violators for serious misdemeanors
            or felonies. | Convicted Person on Supervised
            Release: | This file will contain information
            about people who are currently on parole or on supervised mandatory
            release from a correctional facility. | Missing Person: | This file contains information
            about people who are missing that are disabled, juvenile, victims
            of catastrophe, subjects whose disappearance appears to be involuntary,
            and subjects whose disappearance indicates that their personal
            safety is in jeopardy. | Unidentified Person: | This file contains information
            about unidentified deceased persons, persons who are living and
            unable to ascertain their identities, unidentified catastrophe
            victims, and body parts when a body has been dismembered.
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|File Name                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
|Wanted Persons:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            | This file contains information
            about outstanding federal warrants, serious misdemeanor or felony
            warrants, and probation and parole violators for serious misdemeanors
            or felonies.                                                                                       
|Convicted Person on Supervised
            Release:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | This file will contain information
            about people who are currently on parole or on supervised mandatory
            release from a correctional facility.                                                                                                                                          
|Missing Person:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            | This file contains information
            about people who are missing that are disabled, juvenile, victims
            of catastrophe, subjects whose disappearance appears to be involuntary,
            and subjects whose disappearance indicates that their personal
            safety is in jeopardy.
|Unidentified Person:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | This file contains information
            about unidentified deceased persons, persons who are living and
            unable to ascertain their identities, unidentified catastrophe
            victims, and body parts when a body has been dismembered.                                                   
|