FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                            CONTACT:    Karla Weikal
02122010                                                                                            862-8235

 

 

Davidson County Sheriff Daron Hall Announces Iris Scan Technology

First award in the nation by the National Sheriffs’ Association’s federally funded program to better register convicted sex offenders

 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Davidson County Sheriff Daron Hall announced the first award in the nation of the federally funded iris biometric grant from the National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA).  The grant was made possible by the financial support of the Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program.  The iris scan system, valued at $10,000, enables the Davidson County Sheriff's Office (DCSO) to better register sex offenders and may, in the future, be used to identify and track inmates.

 

“I am extremely pleased to announce this grant award and the implementation and availability of this innovative technology for Davidson County,” Hall said.  “I am particularly pleased that the Davidson County Sheriff's Office has been chosen by the National Sheriffs’ Association to be one of the first grant recipients in the nation of this iris scan machine.”

 

Iris recognition biometric technology positively determines the identity of an individual by capturing a high-resolution digital photograph of an individual’s iris.  The technology can tell the difference between twins or even an individual’s right and left eye.  The technology is non-intrusive.  Simply looking into the camera captures an image of the iris. 

 

According to Hall, the DCSO will, initially, use the equipment in citations booking – where sex offenders come to register.  The data from these individuals will be collected and included in a national database.  Additionally, the information may assist in identifying when an offender is wanted in another jurisdiction.

 

“It is the sheriff’s office’s responsibility to gather information on sex offenders when they come to register in this county.  Including them in an iris scan database is a great step because you can never be mistaken for someone else and you can share the data electronically with other law enforcement agencies,” Hall said.  “We want our employees to use this equipment and give us feedback about what they think.  If we are pleased with
the outcome, we may buy additional machines to use in jail in order to identify and track inmates.  It could be especially useful as an extra step in the releasing process to ensure the appropriate offender is being released back into the streets of Nashville.”

 

Peter Y. Flynn, retired sheriff of Plymouth County, Massachusetts, and a co-founder of BI2Technologies, the company that supplies the iris scan equipment, said, “We are honored that Sheriff Hall has taken such a leadership role in this national effort.  This federally funded grant is a direct result of the hard work and commitment the National Sheriffs’ Association.  As a former sheriff, I know first-hand the challenges Sheriff Hall faces each day.  So, in recognition of the outstanding job he and all the professionals of the Davidson County Sheriff's Office do, I am truly honored to be part of this first grant award.” 

 

Biometric Intelligence & Identification Technologies (BI2 Technologies) of Plymouth, Massachusetts developed the technology.  For more information please visit BI2 Technologies web site at www.bi2technologies.com.

 

Click here for a Spanish translation of the news release in Microsoft Word format

 

Editor’s note:  Join Sheriff Daron Hall and representatives of B12 Technologies on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2 p.m., in citations booking at the AA Birch Courthouse, Second Ave.  Demonstrations will take place during the staff training.