Prüm is key consideration within new AFIS tenders

The Prüm Convention is proving to be a key consideration within recent government tenders (Denmark and Malta) specifying new Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems (AFIS).

Prüm is a treaty which was signed on 27 May 2005 by Germany, Spain, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Austria, and Belgium in the town of Prüm in Germany. This treaty was created in part as a reaction to the 2004 Madrid train bombings, but was under discussion since 2003. The treaty seeks to allow signatories to exchange certain data regarding DNA, fingerprint and Vehicle Registration Data of concerned persons and to cooperate against terrorism.

Elements of the original Prüm Treaty subsequently became part of the legislative framework of the European Union – known as the "Prüm Decisions" (Council Decisions 2008/615/JHA and 2008/616/JHA).

Member States are now working towards a 26 August 2011 deadline, although whether it can be universally met is unlikely. (Toward the end of last year, the European Council confirmed that a large majority of member states will be able to implement the "Prüm Decisions", but some member states still have difficulties to meet the deadline for reasons ranging from IT and financial problems, to logistic, legal and political wrangling.)

In consideration the deadline, new AFIS systems are being specified in some countries that take into account the provisions of the Prüm Decisions. The most recent government to publically state an interest in acquiring a new AFIS capable of interfacing to Prüm is Denmark, although earlier this month Malta also released a tender seeking similar capabilities.

In a Prior Information Notice, the Danish National Police says it plans to purchase a new AFIS solution, including data storage and advanced matching functionality. The system is to be a replacement for the current national AFIS solution, which includes approximately 400,000 finger, palm and latent prints in 500 ppi format.

The new AFIS solution will be expected to store finger and palm prints from convicted persons and asylum seekers as well as latent prints from crime scenes. Based upon the stored prints, the police want to be able to match finger and palm prints; persons against persons, persons against latent prints and latent prints against latent prints. The system shall be compliant with ANSI/NIST, ANSI/INCITS, ISO – and notably, Prüm.

The Danish National Police says it wants to enter into a technical dialogue with interested suppliers of AFIS solutions that have an interface to Prüm or plan to have the interface released for production in the first half of 2011.

The full Danish Police Prior Information Notice can be read here and any information must be submitted by e-mail not later than 11 February 2011.

In Malta, requirements are similar. The Malta Police Force are seeking the supply, delivery, installation and commissioning of a complete Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) and the migration of existing records to the new system.

The police force want the system to be implemented by the end of April 2011, while the migration of records in the current AFIS should be completed by December 2011.

In the tender document the Maltese Police say that the Project is linked to the implementation of the Prum Council Decisions and that it wants the technical solution to be in place by the second quarter of 2011.

Tenders or requests to participate need to be received by 22 February 2011. More details can be found here.
 

Article Comments

No reviews have been submitted

Please add a comment on this article from the Add Comment below.

Please Login or Register.

Login or Register

This article appears in :-

• Home
• Technology News
• AFIS/Livescan
• Application News
• Criminal ID
• Civil ID
• Industry News
• National Government
• Law Enforcement
• Events
• Features
• Interviews
• Comment
• In Focus
• News
• test_cat
• UIDAI
• Biometric Standards