Fingerprint link traps fugitive Scots
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A pioneering high-tech scheme is being used to trap Scottish criminals on the run in their favourite English seaside resort.
An electronic fingerprint link tells police in Glasgow within minutes whether wanted men have been picked up by police in Blackpool, which is packed during the summer with Scottish holidaymakers and job-hunters. The trial scheme is the only one of its kind in Europe and links Blackpool police station with the database of 300,000 fingerprints at the Scottish Criminal Record Office.
Operation Tower has led to the capture of five men wanted by Scottish police forces and can trap those using false names within minutes. They put their forefinger on a small box and the image is flashed to Scotland where computer technology matches it to prints on the database. The system is widely used in the United States and could be introduced throughout Scotland if the trials continue to be successful.
Chief Inspector Alf Hitchcock, of Lancashire Police, said: "Blackpool was chosen for the trials because it gets 16 million visitors in the summer, including a big proportion from Scotland. There is a huge turnover of people and it is an ideal town for a test. It is a very simple system and what used to take days can be done within an hour."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments