Welcome Applicants,

Biometrics4ALL specializes in LiveScan solutions and services.  It is with great pleasure to provide you with some background information regarding the history and evolution of fingerprint based background check and electronic fingerprinting.  We hope you will find the following information useful and interesting.

Historically, background checks were done by conducting name based research with large databases containing personal information and court records collected by private companies.  However, name based research often produced inaccurate background history caused by individuals with similar names and geographic areas.  Consequently, results are often ignored by the requesting agency (e.g., employer, licensing agencies, etc.).

As computing (processing power) became more powerful in the 1990s, high volume searches became more feasible and affordable.  Recognizing the deficiencies of name searches and the accuracy benefits of fingerprint based criminal history check, state and federal justice departments began to prepare their Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems (AFIS) to anticipate the demand increase from civilian background checks.

Due to the slow process of scanning fingerprint cards, many agencies began to find themselves backlogged with un-scanned cards. Some agencies became as backlogged as 6 months, thus employers found themselves scrambling to hire replacement employees and wasted all training efforts when results finally came back with undesired criminal history.  Additionally, the unqualified personnel (potentially posing threat to the public they service) got the attention of legislators and employers.

By the early 2000s, LiveScan prices dropped significantly as new vendors entered the market with newer technology that took advantage of the advancements in digital photography (CCD lenses) and computing (processors) advancements.  When coupled with the extraordinary event of 9/11 and the lowered prices, legislators begin to mandate more fingerprint based background checks.

Law enforcement agencies began to feel the pressure of handling the increased demand and became short staffed for applicant LiveScan fingerprinting while private entities started to realize the benefits, convenience, and the business potential of owning its own LiveScan system and offering the LiveScan services to others.  In the early 2000s, a few progressive states such as California, Florida, and Illinois began to privatize the LiveScan business.  These privatization initiatives along with continued price drops of LiveScan systems made getting LiveScan fingerprinting more convenient for the state's constituents.

With the convenience of LiveScan locations and the speed of processing LiveScan transactions, justice agencies' backlog was virtually eliminated and background check results are now returned in hours and days rather than weeks and months.   More states are pushing for LiveScan privatization and more legislators are now pushing for requiring fingerprint based background checks to improve public safety.

We hope you have found this bit of history interesting and useful.  For more information, please feel free to contact our sales team at (714) 568-9888.

Sincerely,

Biometrics4ALL Management Team