The Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS), maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), is a national automated fingerprint identification and criminal history system. IAFIS provides automated fingerprint search capabilities, latent searching capability, electronic image storage, and electronic exchange of fingerprints and responses. IAFIS houses the fingerprints and criminal histories of 70 million subjects in the criminal master file, 31 million civil prints and fingerprints from 73,000 known and suspected terrorists processed by the U.S. or by international law enforcement agencies![1] Employment background checks and legitimate firearms purchases cause citizens to be permanently recorded in the system. For instance, the State of Washington mandates that all applicants seeking employment in an inpatient setting that houses vulnerable minors (such as children who are mentally challenged, physically or emotionally ill) are fingerprinted and entered into IAFIS as part of their background check in order to determine if the applicant has any record of criminal behavior.[2] Fingerprints are voluntarily submitted to the FBI by local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. These agencies acquire the fingerprints through criminal arrests or from non-criminal sources, such as employment background checks and the US-VISIT program. The FBI then catalogs the fingerprints along with any criminal history linked with the subject. Law enforcement agencies can then request a search in IAFIS to identify crime scene (latent) fingerprints obtained during criminal investigations. Civil searches are also performed, but the FBI charges a fee and the response time is slower. A more advanced Next Generation Identification system became operational in 2011.[3][4]

Contents

1 Technology 2 Speed 3 In popular culture 4 See also 5 References 6 External links

Technology[edit]

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The device used for scanning live fingerprints into AFIS is called Live scan. The process of obtaining the prints by way of LiveScan employs rolling prints or placing flat impressions onto a glass platen above a camera unit. The process of obtaining prints by placing a ten-print card (prints taken using ink) onto a flatbed or high-speed scanner is called CardScan (or occasionally DeadScan). In addition to these devices, there are other devices to capture prints from crime scenes, as well as devices (both wired and wireless) to capture one or two live finger impressions. The most common method of acquiring fingerprint images remains the inexpensive ink pad and paper form. Scanning forms ("fingerprint cards") with a forensic AFIS complies with standards established by the FBI and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). To match a print, a fingerprint technician scans in the print in question, and computer algorithms are utilized to mark all minutia points, cores, and deltas detected on the print. In some systems, the technician is allowed to perform a review of the points that the software has detected, and submits the feature set to a one-to-many (1:N) search. The better commercial systems provide fully automated processing and searching ("lights-out") of print features. The fingerprint image processor will generally assign a "quality measure" that indicates if the print is acceptable for searching. Speed[edit] The average response time for an electronic criminal fingerprint submission is about 27 minutes, while electronic civil submissions are processed within an hour and 12 minutes. IAFIS processed more than 61 million ten-print submissions during fiscal year 2010.[1] In popular culture[edit] In forensics television series such as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and its spin offs, the investigators often match fingerprints with the AFIS database.

In the TV show NCIS, Abby Sciuto uses IAFIS database for the NCIS team. In the TV show Dexter Season 1 episode 2 Dexter uses IAFIS to test the prints of the guy at the bar. In the TV show Dexter Season 7 episode 1 Dexter uses IAFIS to test the prints of the female in the trunk of the car. In the TV show Person of Interest in Season 1 episode 18 Donnelly uses IAFIS to match John's fingerprints to previous crimes in New York.

See also[edit]

Combined DNA Index System—U.S. DNA system Eurodac—the European fingerprint database for identifying asylum seekers and irregular border-crossers National Automated Fingerprint Identification System—Australian system

References[edit]

^ a b "Fbi — Iafis". Fbi.gov. 1999-07-28. Archived from the original on 2012-09-21. Retrieved 2012-09-14.  ^ [1] Archived February 24, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. ^ Dizard III, Wilson P. "FBI plans major database upgrade" Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine.. Government Computer News, 28 August 2006. Retrieved on 2 February 2007. ^ "FBI — Next Generation Identification". Fbi.gov. Retrieved 2013-04-19. 

External links[edit]

Federal Bureau of Investigation - CJIS Division - Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System IAFIS Identifies Suspect from 1978 Murder Case Latent Hit of the Year Award - Fingerprint Tool Helps Solve 1999 Murder

v t e

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Field offices

Atlanta Buffalo Cleveland Tampa

Organization

Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch Human Resources Branch Information and Technology Branch National Security Branch Science and Technology Branch Academy Behavioral Analysis Unit Behavioral Science Unit Communications Exploitation Section Criminal Justice Information Services Division Counterterrorism Division Criminal Investigative Division Crisis Negotiation Unit Critical Incident Response Group FBI Police FBI Special Weapons and Tactics Teams (SWAT) Hazardous Devices School Hostage Rescue Team (HRT) Joint Terrorism Task Force Laboratory Division National Academy National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime National Crime Information Center Office of Professional Responsibility Scientific Working Group (Imaging Technology Bloodstain Pattern Analysis) Violent Criminal Apprehension Program

Technology

Airtel Bureaupedia Carnivore Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) Computer and Internet Protocol Address Verifier Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS) Law Enforcement National Data Exchange (N-DEx) National Incident-Based Reporting System

Ranks

Deputy Director Special agent

Methods and activities

Abscam Bridgman Convention COINTELPRO FBI method of profiling Rod Blagojevich corruption charges FBI Files on Elvis Presley FBI Miami shootout FBI Silvermaster File FBI Special Advisor Program FBI Victims Identification Project Guardian High-Value Interrogation Group Lindbergh kidnapping Ruby Ridge Special Intelligence Service U.S. v. Scheinberg et al. (10 Cr. 336) Waco siege

Directors1

BOI

Stanley Finch A. Bruce Bielaski William E. Allen William J. Flynn William J. Burns J. Edgar Hoover

FBI

J. Edgar Hoover L. Patrick Gray William Ruckelshaus Clarence M. Kelley James B. Adams William H. Webster John E. Otto William S. Sessions Floyd I. Clarke Louis Freeh Thomas J. Pickard Robert Mueller James Comey Andrew McCabe Christopher A. Wray

People

Harry "Skip" Brandon Sibel Edmonds Mark Felt

"Deep Throat"

Helen Gandy Joseph L. Gormley Wesley Grapp David Icove Peter Strzok Clyde Tolson

Buildings

FBI Headquarters Child Abduction and Serial Murder Center

Related

FBI portrayal in media G-Man Junior G-Men FBI–Apple encryption dispute FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin

1 In order of service. Italics indicate