Following the successful use of fingerprint livescan technology in the Sexual Conviction Record Check Office, Identification Bureau (IB) will roll out a Fingerprint and Palmprint Livescan System (FPLS) between this month and September, thereby substantially replacing the traditional ink and paper methodology in taking fingerprints and palmprints.
A trial run started on June 3 in Central District, Wan Chai District, Yau Tsim District and Tsuen Wan District. By September, Force-wide rollout will be achieved in phases, and a full review will be made three months after this.
The FPLS serves to digitise the process of taking fingerprints and palmprints and facilitate sharing of these data by other Force systems. It will also become the primary means to record fingerprints and palmprints in Hong Kong's law enforcement agencies and improve the operational efficiency of the processes of arrest, identification and prosecution. The Department of Justice has approved use of the FPLS, subject to the relevant legal advice on enhancement of secure recording, transmission, storage and archival with full electronic audit log.
A total of 92 kiosks, utilising the latest web-based platform technology for enhanced security and effective management, are supplied by a multi-national company with similar contracts in over 80 countries, including the Department of Homeland Security in the U.S., Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Singapore National Police.
The capturing and transmission of FPLS images will meet the latest internationally recognised standards, with quality control and verification measures in place to improve quality submissions and lower the rejection rates. With the FPLS, only one electronic fingerprint and palmprint taking is required instead of the current requirement of two sets of inked prints, and this will become the usual practice for the Force, ICAC and Immigration Department. Less paper will be used and customer satisfaction will be increased.
Between March and May, "train-the-trainer" sessions were provided for 1 600 frontline officers and 60 officers from ICAC and Immigration Department.
Commenting on the FPLS, IB Chief Inspector Chan Sing-cheong said, "During a three-day user acceptance test involving officers from all regions, Uniform Branch, Crime Stream and Traffic, feedback has been overwhelmingly positive on the user friendliness and intuitiveness of the system. Training manual and video clips on the operation of the kiosks will be available at both IB website and the kiosk itself for in-house training. And each kiosk will have a training mode for frontline officers to practise fingerprint taking. I would like to encourage users to provide feedback so that we can improve services to all our clients."
