All local law enforcement agencies in Cochise County are now connected via a national biometric identification network.
County officials say they're the first in the U.S. to do so.
The Cochise County Sheriff’s Office says the Inmate Recognition and Identification System is not surveillance technology. Instead, authorities say it uses an iris scan to positively identify people.
Now, the sheriff’s office is connected with police agencies in Sierra Vista, Bisbee, Tombstone and Huachuca City via the network.
Officials say each agency owns the biometric data it collects, and the information won’t be sold.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement contracts with the company that makes the iris recognition system.
More law enforcement news
-
Researchers used bystander video and news reports to put together a database of incidents where pepper spray, rubber bullets and other measures were used by law enforcement — resulting in injuries ranging from cuts and burns, to traumatic brain injuries. -
One of the cartels designated as a foreign terrorist organization is largely believed to be responsible for the 2019 killing of nine U.S. citizens in the Mexican state of Sonora. -
A city ordinance barring misuse of 911 is set to take effect in Scottsdale on Aug. 1. -
Part of a 2024 ballot measure that will create a state-level immigration system is set to take effect on Tuesday. -
A Tucson woman is suing the city of Tempe over its reaction to a social media post that led to the evacuation of City Hall and her arrest. The federal that alleges constitutional rights violations.
