Biometrics and the War on Crime

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=24912

I was researching future uses of biotechnology in the war on crime and I came across this article on the use of biometrics in fighting crime. Until now, I thought we were limited by the use of DNA or fingerprints but that is soon going to change. Today with the aid of computers we can now use more than just DNA and fingerprints but we can use your face, retina image, voice and gait while walking to identify a person.

This technology has already proven itself in detaining terrorists that try to constantly change their appearance to get by security. One example which occurred in Iraq, was a man that had been detained for questionable activity but was later let go. Before his release his biometrics were recorded. 10 months later the same man tried to pass by security forces with an altered appearance and ID and was caught do to his inability to fool this technology.

I believe this technology may help the public rest a bit easier knowing that a terrorist will be unable to use just a fake ID to get on a plane or enter a secured building. The government is pushing that in 2008 we all have an ID or drivers license that meets minimum federal guidelines on security issues. One of these options may be a license that has encoded information on it that says this ID belongs to you and only you by reference to a mix of biometric data such as DNA, Fingerprints and retina scan. The typical airport check-in may go something like this. You show up to get your tickets and you have to scan your license and then have a machine do a quick fingerprint and retina check. Once verified to be you the tickets are then tagged with your biometrics to prevent someone else from using them and to allow the boarding pass collector to scan you again on boarding. Since the ID will not be transferable and it must be encoded by the local government it will be much more unlikely to have a fake ID that will give you access to a plane.

With this technology we will be able to identify and prevent people from entering and exiting the country, who would otherwise cause harm. The current proposals may dictate that all foreign nationals entering the country have their biometrics taken and kept on file. They must enter and exit the country through these checkpoints to give our government and security forces a better idea of who is travelling in and out of the country.

This new technology does however bring about the question of privacy. Many everyday people will not want to be profiled and consider this technology as another way for big brother to watch them. I can sympathize with them but I can personally attest to the fact that seeing a strange person taking pictures of my ship while I was in the Navy and asking if it was leaving anytime soon was quite nerve racking. I think this technology would help us identify possible threats before they have time to commit to them. Just imagine another use would be to reunite kidnapped or missing children with their families before large amounts of time have gone by. Technology is a wonderful thing if used for good. Lets hope that this technology will help save lives and our freedoms.