A lot has changed since 1932.

Television was invented and men landed on the moon. But there is one thing that has remained the same: The way the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office processes fingerprints. That is, until now.

A new $86,000, ink-free system will reduce the time spent on fingerprinting inmates by nearly 75 percent, DeKalb County sheriff Roger Scott said.

A $50,000 proposal for the Livescan Fingerprinting System was written and submitted to the Criminal Justice Authority in 1999, Scott said. The CJA’s eagerness to install these systems had the proposal approved immediately. Additional costs were covered with county funds.

Though the Livescan system was received nearly two years ago, technical difficulties delayed its completion. Because it worked with a network, it was difficult to get everything running smoothly, and problems involving connection and clarity of prints plagued the system. Everything finally was figured out in early October, and Livescan has been up and running for nearly a month, Scott said.

Initial problems with this system are common, Scott said. Many departments who use it have a few bugs to work out at first. That was the main reason he wasn’t quick to announce the installment of Livescan, he added.

The wait, as it turns out, was worth it.

Time is saved because a faulty print is discovered immediately and there is no problem of over or under-inking, Scott said.

Because the system electronically takes prints, it’s also easier to duplicate prints. Previously, an inmate had to make four sets of prints. The prints, which were mailed to Joliet and Washington D.C., now can be sent over the network.

The system also is easier for the inmates because they no longer have to hassle with washing ink off their fingers.

Ogle and Winnebago counties have similar systems, Scott said.

Despite early problems, Ogle County deputy Paul Hayenga said the Livescan system there works well.

“[There have been] no problems yet … it definitely saves time and paperwork,” Hayenga said.

Scott hopes the new system will continue to improve inmate processing for years to come.

“Hopefully it will run well and we won’t get swamped with too many expensive upgrades,” Scott said.