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Courtesy photo Highlands County sheriff's deputies will now be able to run Rapid ID to confirm identification of subjects. It is the newest piece of technology being used by the Sheriff's Office.

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published: Thursday, February 07, 2013

New Rapid ID technology in place in Highlands County

Special to the News-Sun

SEBRING - How would a deputy know if the name a subject was providing to him was really the correct name? If this person has an outstanding warrant, would he tend to provide the correct identification? Chances are he might not.

Now Highlands County sheriff's deputies have the solution. Simply call the sergeant on duty in your zone and have him run Rapid ID on your subjects. Identification is confirmed. The rules of search and seizure still apply with the use of these devises, however, any tool given to our deputies to expedite identification in the field leads to efficiencies but most importantly to the safety of our deputies. They can quickly determine who they are really dealing with on the street under the proper circumstances.

Rapid ID is a hand held fingerprint scanner that utilizes modern wireless technology to verify identity. This system searches the databases of known Florida criminals and the FBI's Repository for Individuals of Special Concern (RISC). This unit captures forensic quality fingerprints for identification, however when time permits and upon booking into the jail, a ten print submission is still the best and most thorough identification using fingerprints.

The Highlands County Sheriff's Office is fortunate to have nine of these units in operation at this time. The north and south patrol sergeants on each of four squads has one and the Sergeant in the Safe Neighborhoods Unit accounts for the ninth device. At a cost of just more than $2,000 each, they were purchased using Forfeiture Funds, monies seized and forfeited from criminal enterprises.

In use for the past several months, deputies are pleased with this new tool for law enforcement.

"It works very well. I have positively identified several subjects and made an arrest on a subject who attempted to hide his identity during an investigation," said Sergeant "Mickey" Cloninger. Sergeant Anthony McGann commented, "I find this to be a useful tool and have been able to use it successfully."

When members of his squad came upon a Hispanic male who was unconscious and lying in an orange grove, McGann used Rapid ID to identify the man and was able to get his family to respond to assist him.

Sergeant Jamie Davidson related that, "Another subject who attempted to hide his identity when he was served a warrant was convinced to provide the correct name when informed the Rapid ID unit was enroute. Even when subjects provide their correct names but they have no identification on their person, Rapid ID can confirm their identity on the spot."

Sheriff Susan Benton is also pleased with this new technology. "Anything we can do to provide our deputies with current accurate information on subjects they are dealing with on the street increases their chances of going home at the end of their shift. The well-being of our deputies is paramount as they uphold our mission day in and day out to protect life, property and individual rights while maintaining peace and order."