Davidson sheriff to use new technology to track registered sex offenders

Tennesssean February 16, 2010 DAVIDSON COUNTY Davidson County Sheriff Daron Hall will unveil new technology today that he says will improve the tracking of registered sex offenders. The sheriff's office received a grant for an iris scan machine worth about $10,000 that will be used to check in the sex offenders who come to register at the booking department. The technology can positively identify a person through an eye scan and can even differentiate between twins, the sheriff's office says. The information gathered through the iris scans will be entered into a national database that will help determine if a sex offender is wanted in another jurisdiction. "It is the sheriff's office's responsibility to gather information on sex offenders when they come to register in this county," Hall said in a news release. "Including them in an iris scan database is a great step because you can never be mistaken for someone else and you can share the data electronically with other law enforcement agencies." If the data are useful, Hall said, the department may buy more equipment to better track inmates and ensure the right ones are released from custody. — KATE HOWARD