QCPD hosted tutorial on JICA sponsored AFIS
The Quezon City Police District (QCPD) held a seminar recently at Camp Karingal to teach its personnel the proper procedure and application of the Japanese Government sponsored Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS).
The activity was highlighted by the arrival of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Program Director, Chief Superintendent Takahiko Iiri and his entourage who were formally welcomed by QCPD Director Police Chief Superintendent George T Regis.
The JICA contingent was composed of lecturers who talked about how the AFIS work and showed the participants comprising of QCPD Station Commanders and investigators how to utilize the system effectively by explaining procedures that should be done consistently.
The AFIS is a donation through the JICA under its General Grant Aid Program and was fully operational on July of 2004.
The aim of the program was to speed up the identification of criminal offenders through the use of this automated method and provide for a conclusive and swift prosecution.
The system works by building a database of consolidated prints taken from suspects after booking and from individuals that voluntarily submit specimen prints when applying for police record clearances until the system is saturated with fingerprint records and will be a useful reference for suspect identification.
Once a suitable latent print is retrieved and processed from a crime scene it will be brought to the AFIS for comparison and analysis, the computer will search the database and within minutes will return its analysis to at least three closest matches to the prints being compared and from there the case investigator will draw his conclusion or an “AFIS Hit” will register if an exact match is found placing any suspect at the crime scene.
Gen. Regis exclaimed that the automated system has the potential to control and deter crime by serving as a reliable investigation method to discourage habitual as well as would be offenders. He also added that the system will put the PNP at par with police forces abroad as far as use of technology is concerned.
