New FDLE system tracks probationers, sex criminals; Rapid ID is part of FALCON system
By Ron Bartlett
Palatka Daily News (FL)
Nov. 1, 2006
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement announced the unveiling of a new identification system Monday to help track probationers and sexual criminals.
The “Rapid ID System,” which has been rolled out to 154 of Florida’s probation centers and all of its sheriff’s offices, uses fingerprint technology to instantly transmit the criminal history of whoever is being scrutinized. In effect, it lets the authorizing agency know that the person using the system is who they say they are.
The Rapid ID is part of FDLE’s FALCON system, which is an online database tracking individual criminal histories.
“It has been online now for over a year, but they just added the fingerprint scanning part of it,” said Maj. Keith Riddick, chief of detectives for the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office. “They can’t walk in here and say, ‘this is me,’ and it’s not them.”
Kristen Perezluha, spokeswoman for the FDLE, said the system is designed for two purposes.
“One is for when probationers check in with their probation officer,” she said. “They’ll use it to identify that the person is who they say they are. Also, each sheriff’s office around the state has one they’ll be able to use for re-registration of sex offenders.”
Perezluha said that the system was mandated by the 2005 Jessica Lunsford Act, which states that sex offenders convicted of crimes against children must be tracked for life. Currently, sex offenders have to check in on the month of their birthday and then six months afterward.
“We have a computer set up just for them to reregister that goes straight to Tallahassee,” said Detective Peggy Cone, who coordinates sexual offenders/predators for the PCSO.
The system also allows probationers to be put on a “watch” list, which will provide instant notification if the probationer is subsequently arrested.
Rapid ID uses a single fingerprint to validate a subject’s identity, along with a Florida criminal history state identification number. Law enforcement can search for a subject’s identity using two fingerprints and no other identifying information.
Florida Department of Corrections Secretary Jim McDonough said that the new technology should make all Floridians feel safer, knowing that sexual predators are being more closely tracked.
“(It is) one more valuable tool to enhance the supervision and tracking of convicted sexual offenders and predators,” he said.
Riddick said that one day the Rapid ID system will be a part of every deputy’s vehicle, but that is still a few years away.
“Part of FALCON does make it available in the vehicles, but we don’t have it yet,” he said. “We have to have some way for the car to talk to the office and we don’t have that.”