New FBI Crime Network Delivers Speedy Results

WASHINGTON — Local police can now take a single fingerprint from a suspect at a roadside arrest and find out in minutes from a new FBI computerized national crime data system whether that person is wanted, rather than waiting the hours, days or longer that the old FBI system took.

This week, the FBI launched its National Crime Information Center 2000, replacing the old computer network that linked the bureau to state and local police.

Among a series of improvements, the system has the ability to automatically process fingerprints and mug shots. It also contains the old system’s lists of wanted people, criminal histories, missing and deported people, stolen guns, vehicles, license plates, stocks, boats and other articles.

But the old system didn’t handle fingerprints or mug shots. Local police had to mail or fax fingerprint sets to the FBI, which checked them by hand against its 39 million sets of fingerprints and answered by mail, fax or, in urgent cases, by telephone as to whether there was a match.

Now, a police officer in a station or even in a squad car in the field can put a suspect’s index finger into a small reader that transmits the print by radio to FBI computers in Clarksburg, W. Va.

Within minutes, the computer--without any action by FBI employees--checks the single print against 250,000 fingerprints in the FBI’s file of fugitives and wanted people.

The answer pops out in minutes. If the print identifies the suspect as someone who is wanted, the computer not only relays the result to local police but also sends a mug shot of the wanted person to a computer screen or printer in the local police station or squad car.

“I believe that [the system] will foster a revolution in law enforcement,” FBI Director Louis J. Freeh said Thursday. Previously, “a wanted person had sometimes already been released from custody before the more time-consuming record systems produced the needed information.”

A few state or local police agencies already have the equipment needed to take full advantage of the system, including the New Jersey and Michigan state police, FBI spokesman Steve Fischer said. “We are looking to have most of the law enforcement agencies in the country on board within three years.”

The FBI will provide the software free, but local agencies have to buy their own laptop computers, fingerprint scanners and printers.

The system cost $183.2 million and arrived on duty four years later than originally planned.

Sunday’s start-up halted the FBI’s computerized background checks of gun buyers for more than 24 hours. Since then, FBI personnel have been working to clear the backlog of checks on prospective gun owners.

Among other capabilities, the system can search its files for:

* All variations of a name, such as Jeff, Geoff or Jeffrey.

* Identifying marks like scars, tattoos and photos of automobiles.

* Lists of sexual offenders, people on probation or parole, or federal prisoners.

It can also link files: A query on a stolen vehicle will also return information on any stolen guns found in that vehicle. It stores five days’ worth of queries and can report whether police in other jurisdictions are looking for the same people or property.