Replacement of the AFIS System

LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT
PRESS RELEASE
Thursday, June 24, 1999
In March l998, the Chief of Police approved the Department’s joint participation in a single countywide replacement of the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS). The Department, in conjunction with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and other local agencies, is undertaking the replacement of its AFIS as the current system is 12 years old and non-Y2K compliant.

The new countywide AFIS is state-funded with monies funneled through the county. It is estimated that the system will cost $8 – 10 million in hardware costs. Each agency is responsible for the connectivity costs, which are not yet fully determined. The County anticipates that the new system will be fully implemented by June 2000. As an interim measure, from January to June 2000 the Police Department will link workstations directly to the California State Department of Justice (DOJ) to continue positive fingerprint identifications of arrestees. While the current AFIS is not Y2K compliant and new fingerprints can not be added to the database, arrangements have been made to continue the ability to query this extensive database for latent print identification. A resultant "no hit" in the database will generate a secondary query to the DOJ system.

The new system will operate in a compatible technology to the current AFIS to maximize the use of its current database. The replacement system will have increased functionality and greater throughput, as well as palm print and mugshot capabilities.

For Release 12:20 pm PST
June 24, 1999