Original Article Traffic violators to give fingerprints as part of pilot program Brent Whiting The Arizona Republic Feb. 3, 2005 11:21 AM Starting today, motorists ticketed by sheriff's deputies in the southwest Valley will be asked to offer a fingerprint, a move aimed at preventing identity theft, officials said. This way, the person who committed the traffic violation can be verified as the person that shows up in court, said Sgt. Travis Anglin, a Maricopa County sheriff's spokesman. The move is intended to catch people who take the wheel with stolen or falsified licenses, as well making sure that innocent people aren't prosecuted for infractions they didn't commit, he said. Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio concedes that the plan, similar to a voluntary program launched Dec. 30 by police in Green Bay, Wis., may be viewed by some critics as a constitutional infringement. "It isn't," Arpaio said. "In fact, the overall benefit to the public, especially our court system, may very well outweigh any outcry from potential critics." There was no immediate comment from Eleanor Eisenberg, director of the Arizona Civil Liberties Union. In Wisconsin, the program was questioned by Eisenberg's counterpart there, Christopher Ahmuty. "It's unfortunate ID theft goes on, but if they stop thousands of people each year that are innocent except for tailgating or jaywalking, to treat them as if they are committing identity theft without any particularized suspicion, it doesn't make a lot of sense in terms of resource or fairness," Ahmuty told the Associated Press. Green Bay police estimated the voluntary program there would prevent about a half-dozen people a year from being wrongly jailed. In the Valley, the fingeprint regimen will be launched as a pilot program by deputies assigned to the sheriff's substation in Avondale, Anglin said. They will use inkless pads to obtain a print, he said. Eventually, the program may be expanded to the entire county. Some details remained to be clarified by Arpaio, including whether the offering of a fingerprint from a motorist will be voluntary or mandatory. Reach the reporter at brent.whiting@arizonarepublic.com or (602) 444-6937.