Springfield Police Department receives grant to continue using fingerprint technology
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) - Springfield City Council approved using a grant of $13,699 to let the police department continue using 76 mobile fingerprint scanners.
Police Chief Paul Williams said this technology is an important tool to help keep violent criminals off the streets. Williams said these units let officers in the streets identify people refusing to reveal their names or give a fake identity.
“Takes violent criminals off the street and people who are wanted, who have escaped capture at that point,” said Chief Williams. “Helps us to identify those suspects and separate them from the general public very quickly.”
In 2021, the scanners helped police make a positive identity in at least 250 cases. The majority of those people were wanted on state or federal charges. Chief Williams said this will greatly help police officers in the field.
“You’d be surprised how many people aren’t forthcoming when we deal with them about who they are,” said Chief Williams. “So a very simple process to have them stick their thumb on this little piece of equipment in the car and almost instantaneously we get identification on who they are.”
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