Fingerprints analysed on the beat

The National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) has extended a mobile fingerprinting trial by handing out 100 devices to a further 10 police forces.

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The project, called Lantern, is intended to examine how time can be saved by officers trying to establish the identity of persons stopped on the street by enabling fingerprint and number plate checks out on the beat. The devices allow real-time searching of the national fingerprint collection on the National Automated Fingerprint System.

So far, 90 per cent of the officers participating in the trial said they are saving at least 30 minutes per case.

NPIA CIO Richard Earland said in a statement: "Lantern forms part of a wider programme to help reduce bureaucracy in the police service and increase visibility of police officers to the public. As the pilot continues, the NPIA will look at the longevity of the programme and the benefits it presents to improve policing."

New forces coming on to the programme are Avon and Somerset Police, City of London Police, Derbyshire Constabulary, Durham Constabulary, Greater Manchester Police, Kent Police, Leicester Constabulary, Merseyside Police, Surrey Police and Thames Valley Police.

In a statement, Derbyshire Constabulary assistant chief constable Peter Goodman said: "The second phase of this project reiterates the focus of the police service; to put more officers on the street. The impact that Lantern has on policing is vast."