What possible value could the LEAs get by having your thumbprint digitally encoded on your driver's license? It's not like the average cop-on-the-beat is qualified to lift a fingerprint and compare it. Even if he was, how does it benefit that the fingerprint is on the license?
Here it is possible to walk into a suitably equipped police station, put your fingertips on a sensor pad and a few seconds, if records exist, have the appear on the computer screen. Extrapolating this it isnt a big step for a patrol car, already equipped with a packet radio link to HQ and a data terminal, scan in your fingerprint and check it. If the system was offline they could easily take your rpint and compare it to that on your license. It's just a little more proof that the license is linked to you. Mark mark@lochard.com.au The above opinions are rumoured to be mine.