P.O. Box 3369
Anaheim, CA 92803-
3369
www.anaheim.net
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
City of Anaheim
POLICE DEPARTMENT
DATE: MARCH 24, 2026
FROM: POLICE DEPARTMENT
SUBJECT: JOINT AGREEMENT WITH THE COUNTY OF ORANGE FOR
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ORANGE COUNTY
AUTOMATED FINGERPRINT IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM (AFIS)
ATTACHMENT (Y/N): YES ITEM # 16
GOVERNMENT CODE § 84308 APPLIES: NO
RECOMMENDATION:
That the Council, by Motion, approve the Joint Agreement with the County of Orange for the implementation and operation of the Orange County Automated Fingerprint Identification System, with an estimated first year cost of $155,616, with future annual costs to be determined by the County of Orange OC-RAN Board and negotiated by the parties, for recurring periods of ten (10) years unless terminated by either party; and authorize the Chief of Police, or designee, to execute and administer the agreement.
DISCUSSION:
The Anaheim Police Department’s (APD) Forensic Services Section delivers comprehensive crime scene investigation services, including latent fingerprint comparisons, Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) operations, Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) administration, and National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) processing. Between January 2025 and January 2026, Forensic Services responded to 1,447 calls for service and processed 10,166 criminal AFIS transactions, 553 registrant AFIS transactions, and 957 AFIS applicant transactions.
APD has operated its own AFIS since the mid-1990s, relying on outside vendors to support the system, and remains the only municipal police department in California to operate an in-house AFIS. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department Cal-ID Bureau, within the Orange County Crime Lab, has been operating the County’s AFIS for more than 20 years, providing fingerprint identification services to the County, local police departments within Orange County, the California Highway Patrol and other law enforcement agencies. AFIS is a computerized network that stores finger and palm images in an archive database and has a local searchable fingerprint database. AFIS provides access to other databases, such as the California Department of Justice statewide searchable finger and palm print databases and the Federal Bureau of Investigation AFIS.
The system consists of an extensive network of hardware and software components that is maintained and operated on a 24 hours a day, 7 days per week basis.
Joint Agreement with the County of Orange for the Implementation of the Orange County Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS)
The Orange County Remote Access Network (OC-RAN) Board is the legal governing body for the AFIS in Orange County. Penal Code Section 11112.4 provides for the establishment of a RAN Board in each county, comprised of the Sheriff, the District Attorney, a member of the Board of Supervisors, two city police chiefs, a city mayor, and an at-large member. The RAN Board facilitates, throughout the County, the placement, purchase, acceptance, delivery, maintenance and use of equipment for the Cal-ID statewide AFIS, and sets annual rates for participating agencies.
While APD historically operated its own AFIS, it also participated in the OC-RAN until 2019, when it withdrew due to service redundancy with the City’s vendor-supported system.
Since that time, APD’s AFIS vendor, Thales, has undergone multiple ownership changes, leading to decreased product stability and support. A system upgrade initiated in May 2019 was not completed until March 2023 due to missed contractual deadlines. Following implementation, the system has continued to experience significant operational issues, requiring substantial staff time to troubleshoot and resolve. Since March 2023, more than 224 trouble tickets have been opened. Of these, 21 required more than 100 days to resolve, and three remain open, with durations ranging from 211 and 631 days.
APD currently spends approximately $180,000 annually ($15,000 per month) to maintain its standalone AFIS. The contract with Thales expires in March 2028 and includes a “30- day termination without cause” clause. To continue operating an independent system, the department would need to conduct a Request for Proposal (RFP) process, for a new vendor before the contract ends. The Department conducted a cost analysis of vendors who can provide similar systems, and showed that costs for new systems have risen considerably, with start-up costs as high as $3.3 million and ongoing maintenance and support costs ranging from $240,000- $516,000 annual ($20,000 - $43,000 per month).
By comparison, the cost to rejoin OC-RAN is shared amongst all participating agencies in Orange County, with annual rates determined by the OC-RAN Board. APD’s estimated first-year cost is $136,416 annually ($11,368 per month), plus $19,200 annually ($1,600 per month) for the mobile-ID component’s cellular connection. The OC-RAN system does not require initial startup costs.
Rejoining OC-RAN would provide APD with comparable AFIS capabilities at a lower ongoing cost, while shifting system maintenance and troubleshooting responsibilities to OC Cal-ID staff. This transition allows APD’s forensic personnel to focus on crime scene investigation duties.
Given the ongoing instability, maintenance challenges, and reduced vendor support challenges with Anaheim’s current AFIS vendor, and following discussions with the Orange County Cal-ID manager overseeing day-to-day OC-RAN operations, staff recommends discontinuing the City’s standalone AFIS and rejoining OC-RAN.
Joint Agreement with the County of Orange for the Implementation of the Orange County Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS)
IMPACT ON BUDGET:
Sufficient funds exist in the Police Department’s FY 2025/26 General Fund budget.
Future years’ appropriations will be subject to City Council approval.
Respectfully submitted,
Manny Cid
Chief of Police
Attachment:
1. Agreement