FBI rolls out next-generation facial-recognition system

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) unit has bolstered its security efforts with the launch of the next generation identification (NGI) system.

Mainly targeted at expanding the agency’s biometric identification capabilities, the new facial-recognition programme will replace the existing integrated automated fingerprint identification system (IAFIS).

The FBI said in a statement: "The IPS facial recognition service will provide the nation’s law enforcement community with an investigative tool that provides an image-searching capability of photographs associated with criminal identities.

"This effort is a significant step forward for the criminal justice community in utilising biometrics as an investigative enabler."

Integrating two new services including Rap Back and the interstate photo system (IPS), the NGI system comprises more than 100 million records of individuals’ finger and palm prints, iris scans and facial recognition images in its database.

The information from the database would then be matched with individuals’ personal data, including home address, age, legal status and other private details.

Since the rolling out of first phase of the NGI system in February 2011, the system has been integrated with enhanced automated fingerprint and latent search capabilities, mobile fingerprint identification, and electronic image storage.

Further, the system has also been added with better processing speed and automation for electronic exchange of fingerprints to more than 18,000 law enforcement agencies and other authorised criminal justice partners continuously.