Cogent rolls out fingerprint system for Conn., R.I.

Cogent Systems Inc. has finished and activated an automated fingerprint identification system for the Department of Public Safety and State Police in Connecticut and Rhode Island, the company announced today. The total contract and orders are valued at about $10 million.

Cogent of Pasadena, Calif., provided a fully automated fingerprint identification system that lets the states identify criminals through fingerprints and also check the background of those who are seeking work in sensitive areas, such as security. The new system replaces 10-year-old technology.

The new system is integrated with criminal justice information systems in Connecticut and Rhode Island as well as the FBI's integrated automated fingerprint identification system in Clarksburg, W.Va.

The integrated solution provides an automated workflow for the entire identification process, including Livescan fingerprint identification workstations at state police facilities and other law enforcement locations in the two states.

The company's automated fingerprint identification system provides four times the conventional image resolution to 1,000 pixels per inch, the use of both flat and rolled impressions for searching latent fingerprints from crime scenes, and the ability to search on palm prints found at crimes scenes.

Cogent provides automated fingerprint identification systems and other fingerprint biometric solutions to governments, law enforcement agencies and other organizations. The company has about 100 employees and annual sales of $32.2 million, according to Hoover's Online of Austin, Texas.