In about four months time, the Botswana police will introduce a new device, the MorphoRapID, which is able to make on the spot identification quicker and easier.
The purpose of the device is “to quickly check the identity (fast identification) of a person using one or two index fingerprints”.
The man behind the multi million pula project predicts that the small device will increase the apprehending and arrest of wanted criminals.
Interviewed by Sunday Standard, Assistant Commission Lesetedi said, “If things proceed according to our plans, the device will be introduced at various police stations by the end of September this year.”
Lesetedi said that the devise will be used either at road blocks, randomly or wherever the police see the need to do so.
“This is one of the best devices of the 21st century and Botswana will be the first country in Africa to use such a device,” he said.
The device can capture 20 000 fingerprints and is expected to increase the detection rate of criminals.
“This has come at the right time as we approach the 2010 soccer World Cup to be held in South Africa next year.”
Lesetedi said that they already had managed to capture all the finger prints, transferring them from manual to automated and going as far back as 1936.
“It has been a hectic exercise since we started capturing them sometime last year,” said Lesetedi, adding that there will be two types of automated finger print machines that will be connected to about 61 police station throughout the country.
