Minnesota Counties Deploy Biometric-Based Criminal Charging System -- Security Today

Minnesota Counties Deploy Biometric-Based Criminal Charging System

May 20, 2009

BIO-key International Inc. recently announced that Minnesota counties are deploying BIO-key's WEB-key biometric identification software as part of a new paperless criminal charging, or eCharging system.

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety, which funded the new system, believes Minnesota is the first state to move to an entirely paperless criminal charging process. eCharging allows a criminal complaint to be processed in as little as 30 minutes, whereas the previous process could take up to a full day, especially if officers had to travel a long distance.

The new eCharging system will start in select St. Louis County jurisdictions, and then expand across the county into other parts of the state this summer. It is being deployed in branches of the county sheriff's office, as well as the police departments of Chisholm, Duluth, Hibbing, Floodwood, Hermantown and Proctor.

Virginia, Minnesota Police Chief Dana Waldron has been using eCharging for about two months and says he wouldn't dream of going back to paper.

"It takes a little while to get used to it; once you do, it works beautifully," Waldron said

Leaders say the electronic filing system significantly reduces the time it takes for a criminal complaint to move through the justice system. What used to take days could now take only minutes. "I've signed two of these today already. It probably took me a total of less than five minutes to do that," observed James Florey, St. Louis County chief judge.

The eCharging solution was developed by Minnesota-based Intertech, which incorporated BIO-key's WEB-key into the document signing process to positively identify the user based on fingerprint biometrics.

"Integrating WEB-key into the application was a simple and straightforward process," said Rich Franzmeier, Intertech consultant on the project. "Establishing the identity of the officer who is electronically signing the document with fingerprint biometrics is vital to ensuring the integrity of the signature."

Featured

ASIS International Introduces ANSI-Approved School Security Standard

ASIS International, a leading authority in security standards, is excited to announce the release of its American National Standards Institute (ANSI)-approved standard designed to provide a framework for developing, implementing, maintaining, and improving school security. The first comprehensive standard of its kind provides a critical benchmark for assessing and improving a school’s security posture regardless of size and funding. Read Now
- Education Security
Survey: Nearly Half of Employees Hide Workplace AI Use

Laserfiche, a SaaS provider of intelligent content management and business process automation, recently released new survey findings on AI adoption in the workplace, revealing that nearly half of Americans (49%) who use AI at work keep it to themselves, with 15% deliberately avoiding telling their manager. Read Now
- Artificial Intelligence
- Cybersecurity
46% of Enterprise Passwords Are Vulnerable to Cracking

Picus Security recently released The Blue Report™ 2025, based on more than 160 million real-world attack simulations. Now in its third year, the report provides a data-driven assessment of how well security controls perform against today’s threats — and this year’s findings are the most concerning to date. Read Now
- Cybersecurity
Community-Led Video Security Network Transforms Pennsylvania City Public Safety

A community-supported video security initiative has transformed public safety in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The citizen-led collaboration demonstrates how open platform video technology can help revitalize struggling urban areas. Read Now
- Government
Browser-Based AI Agents: The Silent Security Threat Unfolding

Some of the most revolutionary advances in artificial intelligence include browser-based AI agents, which are self-sustaining software tools integrated into web browsers that act on behalf of individuals. Read Now
- Cybersecurity

Security Today eNews

Sign up today for essential industry news and product information that can help you stay afloat in the fast-paced world of security.

Email Address*Country*

Please type the letters/numbers you see above.

PureTech Systems, Clear Align Partner to Deliver Advanced Autonomous Security, Command-and-Control for U.S. Air Force Tactical Security System

Securitas and AlertMedia Offer Emergency Response Solutions

Webinars

Whitepapers

New Products

Compact IP Video Intercom

Viking’s X-205 Series of intercoms provide HD IP video and two-way voice communication - all wrapped up in an attractive compact chassis.
A8V MIND

Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.
4K Video Decoder

3xLOGIC’s VH-DECODER-4K is perfect for use in organizations of all sizes in diverse vertical sectors such as retail, leisure and hospitality, education and commercial premises.