SUBJECT
SHERIFF - REQUEST FOR AUTHORIZATION TO ISSUE A COMPETITIVE SOLICITATION FOR AN AUTOMATED FINGERPRINT IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM (DISTRICTS: ALL)
OVERVIEW
The California Identification System/Remote Access Network (Cal-ID/RAN) is a statewide system that provides local law enforcement agencies with direct access to local, state, and federal automated fingerprint, palm print, photo systems and databases. This statewide system allows for the rapid identification of persons booked into detention facilities and latent prints lifted from crime scenes. The Sheriff’s Office serves as San Diego County’s Cal-ID/RAN administrator.
On April 7, 2009 (4), the Board of Supervisors authorized the Sheriff’s Office to issue a competitive solicitation for the procurement of a replacement Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS), a solution that stores and processes fingerprint and palm print images to build a local database and is able to search and compare prints to local, State, and Federal fingerprint databases. In December 2011, a new AFIS was successfully implemented at the Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement agencies in San Diego County. The AFIS continues to be in use but has become obsolete and needs replacement.
Today’s action requests the Board to authorize a competitive solicitation for a new Automated Fingerprint Identification System.
RECOMMENDATION
SHERIFF
In accordance with Section 401, Article XXIII of the County Administrative Code authorize the Director of the Department of Purchasing and Contracting to issue a competitive solicitation for an Automated Fingerprint Identification System, and upon successful negotiations and determination of a fair and reasonable price, award a contract for an initial term of five years, with five one-year option periods, and an additional six-month extension, if needed, and to amend the contract as needed to reflect changes to service requirements and funding, subject to approval of the Sheriff.
EQUITY IMPACT STATEMENT
Offender identification is crucial in the criminal justice process to deliver offender accountability and bring justice and healing to victims. AFIS develops a list of possible associations to the unknown scene prints that a Latent Print Examiner can then compare and make identifications of suspects in crimes, as well as exonerate the innocent. Additionally, having a mobile fingerprint identification system brings efficiency to law enforcement in processing fingerprints for presumptive identification. The Sheriff's Office, as San Diego County’s California Identification System/Remote Access Network (Cal-ID/RAN) administrator, is moving these solicitations forward to provide regional support as approved by the San Diego County Cal-ID/RAN Board. Having efficient and dependable fingerprint processing ensures a fair and equitable criminal justice system because they assist in processing crime scenes and providing identification to persons matching the prints and eliminating innocent individuals. This is a critical step in creating offender accountability. The end goal is to deliver justice for the victims of crimes.
SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT STATEMENT
The proposed action to authorize a competitive solicitation for a new AFIS and subsequently authorize the Department of Purchasing and Contracting to solicit and award a contract to purchase a Mobile Fingerprint Identification System contributes to the County’s Sustainability Goal to provide just and equitable access. Having a new and updated system creates more efficiency of both time and cost in processing fingerprints to identify owners of those fingerprints. These devices can search the San Diego County regional AFIS database of fingerprints, the California Department of Justice, and the FBI Repository of Individuals of Special Concern databases, enabling law enforcement officers to quickly develop associations to individuals in the field. The fingerprints collected from the Mobile Fingerprint Identification devices in the field are only a preliminary indication for field use and are not entered into the AFIS. This system benefits the entire region in suspect identification, which leads to solving and at times, preventing crimes.
FISCAL IMPACT
Funds for this request will be included in the Fiscal Year 2025-26 CAO Recommended Operational Plan for the Sheriff’s Office. If approved, this request will result in costs and revenue of approximately $500,000 for initial implementation of the AFIS in Fiscal Year 2025-26 and $1,200,000 annually for AFIS access, customer support, and maintenance for the subsequent years of the contract. The funding source is the Sheriff Fingerprint ID Trust Fund, which is funded with vehicle registration fees. There will be no change in net General Fund costs and no additional staff years.
BUSINESS IMPACT STATEMENT
N/A
ADVISORY BOARD STATEMENT
The San Diego County California Identification System/Remote Access Network (Cal-ID/RAN) Board is the regional policy and advisory board responsible for making recommendations to the Board of Supervisors regarding the use of Cal-ID funds. The Cal-ID/RAN Board is comprised of seven members including a member of the Board of Supervisors, the Sheriff, the District Attorney, two police chiefs, a mayor, and a member-at-large. On December 16, 2024, the Cal-ID/RAN Board authorized the use of Cal-ID revenue to fund the replacement of the Automated Fingerprint Identification System and authorized the use of a consultant for the competitive solicitation.
BACKGROUND
The California Identification System (Cal-ID) is the automated system maintained by the California Department of Justice for retaining fingerprint files and identifying latent fingerprints. Remote Access Network (RAN) is the uniform statewide network of equipment and procedures allowing local law enforcement agencies direct access to the Cal-ID system. It provides local law enforcement agencies with direct access to local, state, and federal automated fingerprint, palm print, photo systems and databases. This statewide system allows for the rapid identification of persons booked into detention facilities and latent prints lifted from crime scenes.
On April 7, 2009 (4), the Board of Supervisors approved the Sheriff’s Office request for authorization to issue a competitive solicitation for the procurement of a new Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) to be used by law enforcement agencies throughout the San Diego Region. The new AFIS was successfully implemented in December 2011. The system has been in service for over 13 years and in need of replacement. The AFIS is a critical system that performs two main functions; first, it assists the Sheriff’s Fingerprint Examiner with verifying the identity of arrested individuals by searching their prints against the database to determine if they have been previously booked under an alias; and second, it is used to assist in criminal investigations by searching unknown prints found at crime scenes in a database of known prints.
As part of the AFIS contract and following the Board’s approvals on April 26, 2016 (1) and February 26, 2019 (2), mobile fingerprint identification devices were provided to various law enforcement agencies throughout the San Diego County region. These devices can search the San Diego County regional AFIS database of fingerprints, the California Department of Justice, and the FBI Repository of Individuals of Special Concern databases, enabling law enforcement officers to quickly develop associations to individuals in the field. The mobile fingerprint identification equipment also becomes obsolete. On December 13, 2022 (3) the Board approved the Sheriff’s Office request for authorization to issue a competitive solicitation for the procurement of a new mobile fingerprint identification system. However, because the mobile fingerprint identification system is only a component to the overall AFIS and the current AFIS is outdated, procuring a new mobile fingerprint identification system would be more beneficial after the AFIS itself is replaced. During the process of preparing the solicitation, staff was made aware of the constraints resulting from the age of the current AFIS and did not issue the solicitation.
The Sheriff Fingerprint ID Trust Fund is funded through the collection of a $1 fee for every vehicle registered in San Diego County by the Department of Motor Vehicles, as provided for under Vehicle Code (VC) Section 9250.19. On February 21, 2014, California Assembly Bill 2393 (AB2393) amended VC 9250.19 and authorized a county that has already adopted the resolution to impose the $1 fee, to increase that fee to $2 for vehicle registrations in the same manner that it imposed the initial $1 fee. On October 5, 2021 (6), the County of San Diego Board of Supervisors authorized to increase the fee to $2 for a period of five years ending in 2027 by adopting Resolution No. 21-156. The funds collected pursuant to AB2393 continue to support the San Diego County Cal-ID program to provide automated mobile and fixed location fingerprint identification to benefit all law enforcement agencies in San Diego County. The revenue from the increased vehicle fee was requested to fund the replacement of the regional AFIS, mobile fingerprint identification system, and Cal-ID network infrastructure.
Today’s action requests the Board to authorize a competitive solicitation for a new AFIS. If approved, the solicitation will be combined with the solicitation for a mobile fingerprint identification system to provide modern fingerprint identification systems and equipment to law enforcement agencies throughout the San Diego County region. Due to the complexity and technical requirements of the solicitation, staff will utilize the services of a consultant.
LINKAGE TO THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO STRATEGIC PLAN
Today’s proposed action supports the Equity and Justice Strategic Initiatives of the County of San Diego 2025-2030 Strategic Plan and aligns with the objective of ensuring a fair and equitable justice system that supports and provides services for victims by aiding in the identification and subsequent apprehension of individuals engaging in criminal behavior, resulting in a safer community.
Respectfully submitted,
kelly A. Martinez
Sheriff
ATTACHMENT(S)
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