By Trish Svoboda

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) has completed a $6.89 million upgrade, replacing the state’s searchable database that collects, manages, and compares fingerprints and palm prints for identification purposes in support of the criminal justice system.

In 2020, the Kansas Legislature approved funding to replace the outdated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) with the more modern and efficient Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS). Before the project, the system was outdated and its software and technology were no longer supportable or maintainable.

After securing funding, the KBI surveyed key stakeholders, identified a vendor, and worked to develop and implement the new system. ABIS now holds more than two million fingerprint records and over 596,000 palm prints.

“The upgrade to ABIS will aid the criminal justice community in countless ways. This new technology makes the process of identifying individuals and determining if they have a criminal history record much more seamless,” said KBI Director Tony Mattivi.