Rapid ID system comes to Jackson County Sheriff's Office

JEFFERSON - The Jackson County Sheriff's Office is introducing a new system to help identify criminals.

The system, called Rapid ID, runs an individual's identity on the spot by analyzing finger prints. The system scans two fingerprints and attempts to match them in a database. If there's a match, the information can be sent electronically to a deputy's in-car computer.

"It will be a big asset to us," said Sheriff Janis Mangum. "You can use it for road side stops, crime scene investigations, whatever needs you might have because it's portable... it goes through a laptop computer or a mobile data terminal."

The system provides information such as arrests in Georgia, warrants for arrest, parole, probation and identity theft files, sex offender records, immigration violation, foreign fugitives, suspected terrorists and missing person's reports.

"When people do give us a false name or won't give us a name we can use that Rapid ID scanner to scan two fingers and it will give us an instant - within 30 seconds - who it is," said Mangum.

Mangum hopes the system will go live within the next few weeks, once training is complete.