NYPD To Get Mobile Fingerprint Scanners

Claiming that the device will reduce the numbers that are held pending investigations, the NYPD is spending $160M on mobile devices that will allow officers to scan a suspect's fingerprints in order to check for outstanding warrants.

“You can literally, with this technology, take a fingerprint on a street corner in New York City,” Mayor de Blasio said. “This is going to speed the work of law enforcement. It’s also going to allow us to not have to bring as many people into the station house.” “It’s going to allow us to do more summonses and fewer arrests where appropriate. It’s going to simplify and make more efficient the work that people in law enforcement do,” he added. NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton said the mobile fingerprinting technology “will take some time” to roll out, but Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance said that “by this spring, we anticipate the integration of fingerprint scanning, as well as enhanced data collection in the field.” Officials said the technology would come courtesy of 35,000 handheld devices and another 6,000 Panasonic “Toughpad” tablet computers that the city is buying for the NYPD.

It's not clear whether the fingerprints of those cleared of wrongdoing will be retained by the NYPD.