Equipment granted for mobile IDs

HARTINGTON – Cedar County and other area counties will have equipment at their fingertips to check fingertips for identification.

As part of the 12-county Northeast Planning, Exercise and Training Homeland Security Region, Cedar County received federal grant funds to purchase mobile fingerprint ID devices to help law enforcement officers quickly and accurately check a person’s identity.

The grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, totals more than $19,000 which is enough for seven IDEMIA IDent 2.0 mobile handheld devices – an automated fingerprint identification system – as well as six one-year software update subscriptions.

Other counties receiving the mobile fingerprint devices includes Cuming, Dixon, Madison, Stanton, Thurston and Wayne. Stanton County agreed to purchase their own one-year software subscription as there wasn’t enough funds in the grant to fund all seven, said Kevin Garvin, the county’s emergency manager.

The Cedar County Board of Commissioners approved the grant purchase of the equipment at its last meeting April 23.

Cedar County serves as the fiscal agent for the Homeland Security Region which was approved by the commissioners in 2008.

Cedar County Clerk Jessica Schmit questioned how to use the Homeland Security funds.

“We don’t have an official procurement policy for how to purchase anything using these funds,” she said at the meeting.

Board Chairman Dave McGregor said Garvin had been given permission in the past to purchase items using federal grant funds.

“He can purchase anything up to $2,000 without coming to the board,” McGregor said. “After $2,000, he has to come to the board.”