FaceTec has partnered with Police & Sheriffs Press, also known as PASP365, to add FaceTec’s UR Codes to the secure photo IDs the card supplier produces for law enforcement and government agencies. Police & Sheriffs Press says its cards serve more than 6,000 local, state and federal agencies.
The company, founded in 1999 in Vidalia, Georgia, prints millions of cards a year. It makes photo IDs for police, sheriffs’ offices, government agencies and corporate customers, and sells printers, software and supplies to agencies that issue their own credentials. Its HOLOVIEW cards use holograms, microtext and ultraviolet features intended to deter counterfeiting.
Cards carrying the codes are already in production for law enforcement precincts, and the companies expect them to be used by more than 6,000 law enforcement agencies within 24 months.
A UR Code is a credential in a QR code format that cryptographically binds a holder’s verified identity attributes to 3D face vector data and carries a digital signature. A scanner checks the signature to detect tampering without a central database lookup, then compares a live camera image of the person presenting the card with the face data stored in the code. The check works online or offline on Android, on iOS through FaceTec’s free Scan & Match app, and on desktop hardware, and scans can be tokenized and time-stamped for record keeping.
FaceTec says a secure card and a biometric check address different parts of identity assurance. The card provides a tangible credential, while the biometric match establishes whether the person presenting it is the legitimate holder.
“When we saw UR Codes for the first time, we knew that they offered the cryptographic binding of the identity information and the biometric data that we couldn’t add to a photo ID effectively any other way,” said Frank Raiford, owner of Police & Sheriffs Press.
Sheriff’s offices in Albany and Saratoga counties in New York already use UR Codes on deputy and retiree credentials. In Albany County, the codes let partner agencies or members of the public verify a deputy’s ID across jurisdictions and are meant to stop lost or stolen cards from being used by someone else. Saratoga County applies them to cards for retired officers who carry concealed firearms under the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act, so officers in other states can confirm the holder’s qualification status.
The codes are also used outside policing. Project Lifesaver International, which operates in more than 2,400 jurisdictions in the U.S. and Canada, is adding UR Code labels to locator bracelets, clothing and footwear worn by people with conditions such as autism or dementia. Anyone who finds such a person can scan the code, run a live face match and reach the first responders designated to reunite them with caregivers.
FaceTec, founded in 2013, says it processed more than four billion 3D liveness checks in the past 12 months. UR Codes are part of its 3D liveness and 3D face verification software.
“FaceTec is proud to have UR Codes securing the identity documents of police officers, sheriff’s deputies, and first responders,” said Owen McShane, vice president of government relations at FaceTec.
Sources: PR Newswire
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By the ID Tech Editorial Team
