Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS)

As of June 30, 2008, the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) included over 608,882 10-print cards and nearly 19,935 latent prints. AFIS is available to all criminal justice agencies throughout Iowa for use in criminal investigations. During fiscal year 2008, 46,574 10-print "hits" were made via AFIS. A 10-print card is a card usually 8” x 8” which has a permanent set of an individual’s fingerprints on it. There are 10 individual blocks, one for each

finger and are numbered 1 through 10, starting with the right thumb and concluding with the left little finger.  These prints, referred to as “rolled impressions”, represent each finger which must be rolled from one side of the fingernail to the other side of the fingernail.  Below the 10 blocks are two blocks for printing four fingers simultaneously and two blocks for printing the thumbs.  These prints are called “plain impressions” and are used to make sure that the sequences of the fingers were printed correctly in the rolled impressions.  Above the fingerprint blocks are spaces for descriptive data of the individual such as name, sex, race, height, weight, date of birth, place of birth, social security number, arresting agency, reason for arrest, and other identifying information.  There are two types of 10-print cards, one is criminal which is used when an arrest is made, and the other is civil which is used for anything other than criminal.

A “hit” in AFIS occurs when a print lifted from a crime scene or a fingerprint taken at the time of arrest matches one in AFIS database.  The main AFIS computer is located in DCI headquarters in Des Moines.  Additional AFIS latent terminals are located in the Cedar Rapids, Davenport, and Des Moines Police Departments and at the DCI Criminalistics Laboratory located in Ankeny, thereby permitting easy access by Iowa law enforcement officials.

Livescan sites were introduced in FY 1999.  Livescan is a method of sending required arrest fingerprint cards electronically from a police agency to the central site at DCI.  Agencies are required to take two sets of prints and mail two (one to DCI and one to the FBI).  With Livescan, one set of prints can be rolled with as many as 99 copies being able to be printed. The addition of Livescan terminals at various locations around the state has helped expedite the process of creating and updating criminal history information maintained by the Division.