Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever is pleased to announce the first award in the nation of the federally funded iris biometric grant from the National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA). 

The grant was made possible by the financial support of the Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program.  The grant will enable the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office to join Sheriffs and law enforcement agencies across the nation who have implemented The Child Project, Senior Safety Net, I.R.I.S and SORIS.  The system enables law enforcement agencies to enroll, identify and locate missing children and adults through the use of iris recognition biometric technology.  The system will also enable the  Cochise County Sheriff’s Office to better identify, register and track inmates and convicted sex offenders.

Dever said today, “I am honored and pleased to announce this grant award and the implementation and availability of this innovative technology for the citizens of Cochise County and the State of  Arizona.  I am particularly pleased that the  Cochise County Sheriff’s Office has been chosen by the National Sheriffs’ Association to be one of the first grant recipients in the nation of this innovative technology.”

Sheriff  Dever continued, “As sworn law enforcement officers, we do everything we can each day to protect the citizens of our communities – particularly those most vulnerable like our children and seniors.  We constantly strive to embrace new and proven techniques and technologies to improve public safety.  Iris biometric technology and The Child Project™? are excellent examples of this innovation.  With this grant we will be able to expand our capabilities at no cost to the taxpayers of  Cochise County.”

Peter Y. Flynn, retired Sheriff of Plymouth County, Massachusetts and a co-founder of The Child Project and BI2 Technologies said, “We are honored that  Sheriff  Dever has taken such a leadership role in this national effort.  This federally funded grant is a direct result of the hard work and commitment of Sheriff Aaron Kennard and the National Sheriffs’ Association.  As a former Sheriff, I know first-hand the challenges  Sheriff  Dever faces each day.  So, in recognition of the outstanding job he and all the professionals of the  Cochise County Sheriff’s Office do each day, I am truly honored to be part of this first grant award.” 

Sheriff Flynn continued, “The Child Project™? and related iris biometric systems the  Cochise County Sheriff’s Office is receiving today is part a secure nationwide network and registry that enables law enforcement and social service agencies to enroll, locate and positively identify missing children and adults with iris biometric recognition technology.  Through this network, The Child Project™? compares the unique features contained in the iris against a database of individuals who voluntarily enroll throughout the country to determine identity.  Participation is entirely voluntary, just as it is now with fingerprint and photo ID card programs.”

Iris recognition biometric technology positively determines the identity of an individual by capturing a high-resolution digital photograph of an individual’s iris.  The technology can tell the difference between twins or even an individual’s right and left eye.  The technology is non-intrusive.  Simply looking into the camera captures an image of the iris.  Biometric Intelligence & Identification Technologies (BI2 Technologies) of Plymouth, Massachusetts developed the technology.  For more information please visit BI2 Technologies web site at  www.bi2technologies.com.