ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the conceptual foundations of biometric identification, and its historical development. It examines the scientific background to some of the most commonly used biometrics. The chapter investigates the development of police information systems and their role in storing, searching and analysing biometric information to produce a match. It considers theoretical and human rights issues that are relevant to the field of biometric identification. The use of biometric information to prevent crimes, is a key application of biometrics. Situational crime prevention is an extension of rational choice theory to understand how opportunity structures can be manipulated to prevent individuals from committing crime. Biometric identification involves the automatic identification of a person based on their physiological or behavioural characteristics. Biometric identification was used to identify construction workers, with the purpose of ensuring that food provided by the state was shared equitably among those legitimately eligible to receive it.
