Police in Mumbai are set to have vastly improved access to biometric data of criminals and suspects after the police fingerprint database goes online.Officials say the latest initiative aims to speed up the process of verifying identities of arrested accused, and will create a database accessible on computer while reducing paper use, reports The Hindu.Mumbai Commissioner of Police D.D. Padsalgikar said fingerprint database initiative will be implemented this month. “We have procured digital fingerprint scanners that read and store fingerprints. One scanner will be installed at every police station, and police personnel will be trained in their use.”Once the project is operational, the fingerprints of all arrested and accused will be stored on a common server, as will fingerprints already in the police database.Using the online database, police will be able to verify the identity of a suspect running a search on the server. This will make it easier to compare fingerprints found at crime scenes, officials said.The police are also exploring the possibility of linking the database to the countrywide Crime and Criminal Tracking Network System (CCTNS), an initiative that aims to link police forces to a single server so that information about arrested and wanted accused can be accessed by police anywhere in the country.

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