Latent Investigative Services

Latent Investigative Support Team LogoThe FBI's Next Generation Identification (NGI) System provides authorized law enforcement agencies with new and enhanced latent capabilities designed to produce leads within unsolved criminal and terrorism investigations. The NGI System provides the ability to search latent prints against a national repository of event based criminal and civil identities, as well as link unknown biometric identities through direct search of the Unsolved Latent File (ULF). The ULF contains latent prints contributed by law enforcement that remain unidentified after exhausting all identification opportunities. The NGI System also expanded cascade services of the ULF to include the reverse search of newly received criminal, participating civil, and investigative biometric events to produce new leads after initial search and retention within the file.

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Universal Latent Workstation (ULW) Software

The ULW Software provides authorized law enforcement agencies with access to new and enhanced latent investigative services within the NGI System to assist in identifying persons of interest within active criminal and terrorism investigations. Please note the ULW Software is an investigative tool and is independent of the NGI System. Inquiries regarding the ULW Software and access to the NGI System are received by the Criminal Justice Information Services Division, Biometric Services Section, Investigative Services Support Unit, Latent Investigative Support Team at latentsupport@leo.gov or 304-625-L8NT (5868).

Please note that ULW Software, by itself, does not establish connectivity/message routing to Automated Biometric Systems, either foreign or domestic. The ULW simply formats a latent print into an FBI EBTS compliant format for searching against many vendor systems.

*When installing 6.6.7 (current version), it is recommended to save the files to the computer prior to installation - the Setup.msi file must be copied to the computer.

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Biometric Identification Award Program 

In response to interest from the law enforcement community, the FBI developed the Biometric Identification Award Program to recognize law enforcement for their diligent efforts in solving major cases through use of the NGI System. The Biometric Identification Award is presented annually and promoted throughout various law enforcement and forensic publications. The FBI also collaborates with those responsible for solving the case to reenact the identification, apprehension, and conviction of the suspect(s) through production of a Biometric Identification Award video. It is through the sharing of these cases that we are reminded each one solved is more than an identification or statistic - it is a voice for victims of violent crime. If you or your agency solved a major case and obtained a conviction by searching the NGI System, please contact the Latent Investigative Support Team via email at biometrichit@leo.gov or call 304-625-L8NT (5868).

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Biometric Identification Award Videos