Record keeping in the Guilford County Sheriff’s Department is pretty important because you don’t want to, say, let inmates out early by mistake, keep them longer than you’re supposed to, or confuse two similar looking inmates who have the same snake tattoo on their necks.
Tracking inmates and storing fingerprints, mugshots and the like for hundreds of inmates takes some effort, and the Sheriff’s Department is spending about $47,000 on a new year long contract for a company to help keep all that straight.
The Sheriff’s Department, which runs the county’s two jails, uses a record keeping system called “Central Square – One Solution Jail Management System” to record and maintain booking and release dates as well as other key information for the nearly 20,000 arrested and processed inmates each year that come into the county’s jails in Greensboro of in High Point.
The department is getting ready to sign a new one-year contract with Dynamic Imaging Systems Inc. for the continued maintenance of new and existing hardware and software.
The county is also getting a new mugshot station out of the deal. So, if you’re arrested in the coming months, perhaps your mug shot will be more focused and flattering than your mugshots in the past.
According to Sheriff’s Department officials, the software has the ability to interface with the rest of the jail management software used by the Sheriff’s Department.
“Compatibility with our extensive existing mugshot and fingerprint databases is an overriding concern and Dynamic Imaging is the only source and servicer of PictureLink software,” a memo to the Guilford County Board of Commissioners’ states.
The last contract with Dynamic Imaging began on July 1, 2020, and that allowed for renewals for fiscal years 2021-2022 and 2022- 2023. So, the department is at the end of the renewal options provided by the previous contract.
Dynamic Imaging began providing the service for the county’s jails two decades ago and department officials call the service “a critical component” to the system that captures fingerprints and booking photos.
Is this kind of thing really beyond the abilities of the Sheriff’s Department? Then again, if they can just spaff away taxpayer money and save themselves some work, I can see that they’d like that.
An easier life for the; a harder life for the taxpayers.
Easy decision.
Infrastructure for basic data storage (assume in the cloud) is min $15k per year for a smallish database.
Data Analyst to scrub/correct and run analysis on data = min $60k year
Data Security Analyst to protect privacy of data = min $90k per year
Farming out to a shared service provider is pretty common sense on this one I would think. Just my 2 cents.
My common sense would suggest that a multi-million Dollar Sheriff’s department would be able to manage its own mugshots and fingerprints. You know, like in “the olden days”…
You’ve all missed the point on this one.
It’s not that they can’t keep the photos, or prints, nor is this just about data storage… It’s about AI facial & tattoo recognition, and nearly instant fingerprint verification. Big Brother is always watching. Apple & Google know more about you than your mother does. Tesla isn’t a car company, it’s a data mining company that sells transportation. Buyers agree to the terms of service and 360° cameras and GPS capture everything around the vehicle as well as your habits. That data then gets sold to countless marketing firms & companies that are willing to pay for it. Do you really believe the CIA, NSA & their equivalents around the globe don’t have shell companies to make the transactions look like normal business interests? When people like Elon Musk who has been at the forefront of advancing AI are seeing dangers and warning the world to slow down, we might want to listen.
I think you’re right “Just Sayin”. I missed the larger picture.
Thank you for your comment. I should have seen it… but I didn’t.
It’s rare that I learn from comments here, so thanks again.
I’ll pay closer attention to your comments going forward.
Very perceptive.
Many Law-abiding taxpayers are struggling with their own personal expenses. Why are the law-breakers not paying their own expenses-
records, including fingerprint images, room, board, and salary of the police who are needed to arrest and maintain security. For those who need to be restrained, use chains and let them pick up trash left by other public offenders Some countries require criminals or families to provide or pay for food and special services.
This type of financial savings could apply to the multitude of speeders, Drunk drivers, litteretd, etc. hire more officers to be able to arrest law breakers and each week, divide the expense of service, and charge percentage of cost to offender, thereby probably reducing offenders and relieving non-offenders of the expense.
This may be a way of encouraging responsibility among our offenders; thereby helping the offenders and victims.
They are. Google is your friend. All inmates pay a daily fee for incarceration unless waived. Other fees are itemized through court costs.