MI- Sheriff's department to acquire

Folks, think about this, every place of registration in Michigan will have to have such a machine; and, every place in the nation! Someone is going to get rich via the Adam Walsh Act...

4-22-2009 Michigan:

The Isabella County Sheriff's Department will soon be able to store electronic palm impressions with the purchase of a Palm Live Scan Device (ID Networks) using grant money from the State of Michigan.

On Tuesday, Isabella County Commissioners allowed Sheriff Leo Mioduszewski to accept a grant he applied for to get the palm scanning device. The state awarded him the grant, which reimburses the county for $16,000 of the total $17,676 that it will cost to purchase, install and train employees.

Undersheriff Laude Hartrum told commissioners all agencies in which a sex offender can register have to maintain fingerprint databases to comply with the Adam Walsh Act, signed into effect in 2006. The fingerprints, he said, can be accessible by agencies statewide.

"Essentially what you are doing is collecting 'known' prints to compare against unknown prints in the future," Hartrum said.

Isabella County purchased an electronic fingerprinting device to comply with the mandate, but could not use the device to collect palm prints. The cost of purchasing a separate device, Hartrum said, was too expensive.

Hartrum said he expects in the next couple years the legislation will require public safety agencies to keep track of palm prints in addition to the information they now collect.

"There is a law that's in committee," he said. "I expect you are going to see that in the next year or so."

Commissioner James Moreno said he understands the interest of the Sheriff's Department in taking advantage of any money available for necessary equipment.

"We have to get it anyway to be in compliance," he said.

Essentially, Commissioner John Haupt said, it is a matter of taking advantage of the $16,000 in grant money now, or buying the device at full price later on.

Commissioner Bobby Green questioned whether the purpose of the device is specifically associated with criminal sexual conduct cases. Hartrum said it is. In the future, it will be used for all criminal cases.

He said although a warranty will cover the device in its first year of use, the warranty will not cover the software and existing computer.

"These systems are pretty robust," Hartrum said. "They really don't break down." ..News Source.. by Heidi Fenton