Thanks to a grant from the National Criminal History Improvement Program, the Stark County Courthouse will receive a machine to capture fingerprints and automatically process them into the state’s criminal records database.
The federal grant will purchase 77 new LiveScan fingerprint scanners for courts across Ohio to make the state’s criminal justice data collection more accurate and complete, the Ohio attorney general said. Dave Yost said. His office manages the subsidy.
Ohio law requires the Bureau of Criminal Investigation to maintain a database of fingerprints and criminal history records based on information provided by more than 200 courts in the state. This data is used for criminal investigations; prosecutions; sentencing decisions; prison supervision and release; and background checks for those applying for licenses or purchasing firearms, and those who work with children, elderly Ohioans, or people with disabilities.
The new machines, which cost $898,450, will be delivered to courts in 42 counties.
“Fingerprints are a critical piece of the puzzle in verifying someone’s identity and checking their criminal history,” Yost said in a prepared statement. “These grant funds will be invested in the courts to further modernize the filing system by building in a more secure process for collecting fingerprints. This will allow law enforcement, employers and even ordinary Ohioans to have greater confidence in the system.”
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Stark County Common Pleas Court Gets New Fingerprint Scanner
