Computer to Make Instant Checks on Fingerprints

WASHINGTON — Police in the nation’s capital and its suburbs Wednesday announced a new regional fingerprint identification network, described as the first of its kind.

The Space Age computer network will help track criminals across various jurisdictions by allowing authorities to instantly compare fingerprints with those in police files of other areas.

In the past, such fingerprint identifications were difficult to carry out and could take months.

“With this system, you can search for virtually any latent fingerprint at a crime scene,” Henry Jones of the Prince George’s County, Md., Police Department, said at a news conference.

“What you’re talking about is a matter of minutes instead of days, weeks or months and a lot of man-hours,” Inspector James Lee of the District of Columbia Police Department said.

Jones said the network, which compares fingerprints on computer screens, will be used in the investigations of hundreds of crimes a year.