Sheriff's office warns county fingerprint machine at end of life; replacement could cost about $41,000
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Summary
The sheriff’s office reported that the county’s fingerprint machine has reached end of life and vendor IDEMIA indicated the unit will not accept upgrades; staff described a maintenance option previously quoted at about $5,000 but said replacement is likely to cost approximately $41,000 and will be required for state reporting after 2026.
The sheriff’s office told commissioners the county’s electronic fingerprint machine has reached its end of life and will likely need replacement, a change that could carry a price tag of roughly $41,000.
Sheriff's Office staff said that years ago the state and the Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) distributed fingerprint machines and covered maintenance for participating counties. The county received a notice from the state saying that ongoing maintenance support would end and that the county would be responsible for maintenance agreements going forward. An initial quote for maintenance or an upgrade was about $5,000, staff said, but a vendor letter later informed the county that the current unit will not accept the upgrade and must be replaced.
"So we're required to spend 40 point $41,000 for this fingerprint machine. We didn't really have a choice in. So we gotta replace it now?" a sheriff's office representative said during the meeting. Staff added that the state indicated it will stop accepting data from non-upgraded machines in 2026 unless a compliant system is in place.
Commissioners asked for the vendor email and quote to be forwarded to the board so the county can evaluate the timing, explore maintenance options for 2026, and consider requests for legislative or budgetary assistance during upcoming budget sessions. Staff said they would forward the materials and that the county has some time before the state's 2026 cut-off for receiving machine data.
No formal budget appropriation was approved at the meeting. Commissioners directed staff to bring back the vendor documentation and to consider the purchase or budget request in the next budget cycle or in a special request to the legislature if needed.