© CBS 5
© CBS 5FLORENCE, AZ (CBS5) -
The Pinal County Sheriff's Office will begin using mobile, biometric identification system this week to quickly identify someone anywhere.
Patrol deputies, detectives and SWAT members now can identify criminal backgrounds and other information about suspects by their eyes, fingerprints and facial recognition with a mobile device connected to smartphones, according to a PCSO spokesperson.
PCSO will use the MORIS identification system to identify suspects without identification or for undocumented immigrants, a spokesperson said.
The sheriff's office has about 10,000 individuals' information recorded using biometric technology. The system began in 2010 to verify a suspect's identity before they are booked, authorities said.
PCSO used funding from the state legislature to buy 75 MORIS devices, weapons, radios and a helicopter for about $204,000.
Sheriff Paul Babeu said the equipment will only be used with consent or when deputies have probable cause.
"This technology is futuristic for law enforcement, since a deputy on a rural road can now verify a person's identity even if they provide false name, date of birth or even a fake ID. The eyes don't lie," Babeu said.
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