0640.00, Mobile Identification Device Use
Refer:
• Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Security Policy Version 5.9.1
• ORS 131.615 Stopping of persons
• ORS 133.535 Permissible objects of search and seizure
• ORS 153.039, Stop and detention for violation
• ORS 162.385 Giving false information to a peace officer in connection with a citation or warrant
• ORS 807.570 Failure to carry or present license
• ORS 807.620 Giving false information to police officer
• DIR 0640.70, Fingerprinting and Photographing Juvenile Offenders
• DIR 0650.00, Search, Seizure, and Inventories
• DIR 0860.30, Citations-In-Lieu-Of-Custody
• DIR 0870.30, Processing of Persons into MCDC
• DIR 0870.50, Felony Processing of Adults
• DIR 1010.00, Use of Force
• Forensic Evidence Division (FED) SOP 2.114, Mobile Identification Device (MIDD) Processing Guidelines
• FED SOP 3.105, Requests by Hospitals to Identify John Jane Doe
Definitions:
• Mobile Identification Device (MIDD): A portable, handheld scanner used to capture fingerprint images and electronically transmit the captured images to relevant law enforcement databases.
• Western Identification Network (WIN): A database consisting of fingerprint image contributions from Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Utah, and Nevada.
Policy:
1. This directive establishes procedures for member use of Mobile Identification Devices (MIDDs) and provides guidance on identity verification assistance from the Forensic Evidence Division (FED).
2. Portland Police Bureau members may be in situations in which verifying a person's identity in the field is preferable to transporting the person to jail for fingerprinting and processing, such as for citation issuance. MIDDs and FED may assist members in such situations.
3. MIDDs are tools and do not authorize members to do anything they could not otherwise do – MIDDs merely help members verify a person's identity. However, using MIDDs may constitute a search and/or seizure, therefore implicating a person's rights under the 4th Amendment to the United States Constitution and Article 1, Section 9 of the Oregon Constitution. Accordingly, outside of narrow circumstances (i.e. probable cause for the subject's arrest or Medical Examiner Office requests) members must have a search warrant or search warrant exception, such as consent or emergency aid, to use MIDDs.
Procedure:
1. Authorized Use.
1.1. Only trained members may use MIDDs.
1.2. Members shall only use MIDDs on compliant subjects.
1.3. Members may use MIDDs on compliant subjects if:
1.3.1. There is probable cause for the subject's arrest;
1.3.2. The Medical Examiner Office requests that a member identify a deceased person; or
1.3.3. The member has a valid search warrant or warrant exception. Refer to Directive 0650.00, Searches, Seizures, and Inventories for additional search guidance.
2. Restrictions.
2.1. Members shall not use Force to identify a subject via MIDD.
2.2. Members untrained in MIDDs shall not use MIDDs.
2.3. Members shall not use MIDDs for "Assist" calls at hospitals unless the MIDD use falls under the emergency aid doctrine or other search warrant exception. Refer to Directive 0650.00, Searches, Seizures, and Inventories, for additional guidance.
3. Identification Process.
3.1. Before using MIDDs, members should attempt to verify the subject's identity using other resources, such as Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), Regional Justice Information Network (RegJIN), or booking photograph records.
3.2. Members will capture the subject's prints with the MIDD and submit the images and five items of demographic information to FED and the Western Identification Network (WIN).
3.3. The WIN system performs a one-to-many comparison of a "probe" sample to samples in the WIN database containing many fingerprint samples, and returns a candidate list to FED.
3.4. A FED member reviews the candidate list and performs fingerprint comparisons to make an identification, if possible. FED members typically provide identification results to the member in the field within approximately 10 minutes.
3.5. If the MIDD system is down or the member is unable to capture sufficient images, members may contact FED for assistance, and FED may perform additional identification services if available.
4. Member Reporting Responsibilities.
4.1. Members shall document their use of MIDDs in a police report.
5. Dissemination of Information.
5.1. Members shall comply with the CJIS Security Policy regarding dissemination of Criminal Justice Information, including Personally Identifiable Information.
Effective: 12/20/2025
Next Review: 12/20/2027