Roadside Fingerprinting

Police to fingerprint on streets

"Motorists who get stopped by the police could have their fingerprints
taken at the roadside, under a new plan to help officers check
people's identities."

"A hand-held device being tested by 10 forces in England and Wales is
linked to a database of 6.5m prints."

"No two fingerprints have ever been found to be identical on
databases"

"Police say they will save time because people will no longer have to
go to the station to prove their identity.

Officers promise prints will not be kept on file but concerns have
been raised about civil liberties."

OK, so 6.5 million people have their fingerprints on the database -
but there are circa 28 million drivers, so how will this help? Less
than a quarter of drivers will have their identities confirmed by this
technique.

So does that mean the other three-fourths will be frogmarched to the
station to have their identity checked? Does this happen now?

It's all voluntary, of course. But if you don't agree you'll find
yourself down the nick being effed about for three or four hours - so
there's no coercion at all.

[separately posted to uk.legal]