What is Biometrics?
Biometrics is the automated identification of individuals based on their unique physical and behavioral characteristics. Every individual possesses a unique set of physical and behavioural characteristics that are different from other individuals. Biometrics identifies the person based on their unique characteristics.
Physical characteristics encompass physiological characteristics, including fingerprints, facial recognition, iris and retina scans, DNA, and palm prints; while behavioral characteristics encompass pattern of behavior, including touchscreen interaction, typing pattern, voice, and gait of a person.
As you know, these traits are hard to forge or steal, so the biometric identification is more reliable and accurate compared to traditional methods.
How Biometrics Work in Criminal Investigation?
Biometrics not only adds accuracy but also speed to criminal investigation as it is fully automated and provides results within seconds. Biometric data can be collected directly from the crime scene, suspects, victims, or through surveillance. Once the data is collected, it is analyzed using specialized software and compared against databases. Some scenarios of biometric identification in criminal investigation are as follows:
- A fingerprint left on a weapon can be scanned and matched within minutes using an Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS).
- A DNA sample found at a crime scene can help identify suspects or victims.
- Facial recognition technology can scan security footage and identify individuals of interest, even in crowded public spaces.
- Voice recognition can analyze a suspect’s speech patterns from ransom calls, threat recordings, or undercover wiretaps to match them with known individuals.
- Gait analysis can be used to identify a suspect caught on video, even if their face is obscured.
All these technologies function as part of systems for identity management that help streamline and strengthen the criminal investigation process.
What are the Advantages of Biometrics Over Traditional Identification?
The use of biometrics in criminal investigations provides numerous benefits:
- High Accuracy: The biometric identification offers high accuracy because every fingerprint, face, or iris pattern is unique.
- Efficiency: The biometric identification is super efficient as the modern software and tools take only seconds to identify fingerprints, face, or iris.
- Fraud Prevention: Unlike ID cards or passwords, biometric identifiers cannot be easily shared, stolen, or forged.
- Non-cooperative identification: Biometrics can identify individuals even when they refuse to cooperate or are unable to cooperate (i.e., unconscious, unresponsive, or dead).
What are Some Global Systems for Identity Management?
Biometric data operates within systems for identity management and cannot function in isolation. Systems for identity management are designed to store, process, and share personal identification data securely and efficiently. These systems make criminal investigation and suspect identification easier and quicker. Some global systems of identity management include:
- AFIS (Automated Fingerprint Identification System): AFIS is a fingerprint matching system that is used in various countries around the globe for criminal investigation and border control.
- Facial Recognition Databases: It is a face recognition system that is used globally by law enforcement agencies to identify suspects through surveillance footage or social media analysis.
- INTERPOL’s Biometric Hub: it is an international platform that facilitates biometric data sharing among member countries to track criminals and missing persons across borders.
These global systems of identity management play a crucial role in law enforcement and criminal investigation. To learn more about biometrics and criminal investigation, click here.
Conclusion: A Safer Society Through Smarter Technology:
In short, biometrics is transforming the way personal identification works in criminal investigation. It accurately and quickly identifies the person based on their physical and behavioral patterns. With AI technology, further advancement in these systems of identity management is expected, which will further refine and enhance the criminal investigation.
