UNDERAGE DRINKING MPD Implements Fake ID Scanner By Amanda cGrath Hoya Staff Writer
In an attempt to curb the amount of underage drinking in the District, the Metropolitan Police Department has introduced a new hand-held ID scanner that will help to verify the validity of identification used at bars and clubs. The Lavinna L100, a portable machine that can recognize information from driver’s licenses and identification from 38 states and D.C., is small enough to be carried discreetly through local establishments by MPD officers.
According to product information from the manufacturer The Logix Companies, which specializes in identity authentication, the portable device weighs one pound and is powered by a six-hour battery. Swiping a valid ID card through the machine will bring up personal identification information about its owner.
Other ID verification machines currently in use, such as the Intellicheck machines, can be seen in some local establishments; however, the compact size of the Lavinna allows officers the advantage of taking such technology with them as they walk through the establishment.
According to MPD Lieutenant Brian Bray of PSA 205, this will allow officers to request and scan identification on the spot, rather than just upon entrance where the stationary Intellicheck systems are usually located, a measure that may deter potential underage drinkers.
One Lavinna machine is already being used in the District and the $2,600 cost per unit is being financed by grants of $135,000 from the U.S. Department of Justice aimed at fighting underage drinking, according to a Jan. 22 Washington Post article.
Though the system can only recall information from the legal IDs of 38 states, Logix Web site’s product information says states whose forms of identification cannot be read will be required to upgrade in the near future.
Invalid IDs scanned in the Lavinna machine do not bring up any information, in which case the officers will radio back to the police station to verify the legality of the ID, according to the Post.
