Niagara County Sheriff’s Office First in US to Deploy Iris Biometrics in Patrol Cars

The Niagara County Sheriff’s Office has taken a groundbreaking step by becoming the first law enforcement agency in the United States to deploy iris biometric identification technology in their patrol cars. The system, known as the Inmate Identification and Recognition System (IRIS), is engineered to capture over 265 unique characteristics of an inmate’s iris pattern, enabling rapid and highly accurate identity verification with a false acceptance rate of less than one in 1.2 million.

The technology, developed by Iris ID, builds upon established iris recognition standards used by major law enforcement agencies nationwide. The system captures high-resolution images of both irises using near-infrared illumination, which works effectively even through glasses and contact lenses, and can perform matches in under two seconds against existing databases.

This mobile deployment represents a significant advancement in field-based biometric identification, allowing officers to verify identities during routine stops, bookings, and transfers without requiring transport to a central facility. The system integrates with existing law enforcement databases and meets the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) security requirements for biometric data handling.

The implementation is part of a broader trend of law enforcement agencies adopting advanced biometric tools for identity verification. According to recent deployments, iris recognition systems have demonstrated a 99.99 percent accuracy rate in correctional facilities, significantly reducing cases of mistaken identity and improving booking efficiency.

Privacy safeguards built into the system include encrypted data transmission, secure storage protocols, and strict access controls that comply with state and federal privacy regulations. The biometric templates created from iris scans cannot be reverse-engineered to recreate an image of the eye, providing an additional layer of security.

Source: Speak Up WNY

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November 28, 2024 – by the ID Tech Editorial Team