RFES

[Bruce Evans]

Do any of you have any experience with the RFES software provided by FBI for IAFIS searches. If you do can you tell me requirements for getting the cd, does it perform well and any training requirements. i would appreciate any help.

thanks
bruce evans
randall county

[josher89]

Bruce,

I would highly recommend the ULW software versus RFES. We've been using ULW since 2006 (we had RFES from 04-06) and are much happier with ULW. IF you have any questions about ULW, I would be glad to help. The latest version, 5.4, can be obtained from LTDT at leo dot gov (where the 'at' and 'dot' are symbols). I know you can download 5.1.5 from leo.gov, if you have the access. I can post that URL if you want.

[Bruce Evans]

josher

thanks for the response. i would appreciate very much for the url. what do you find better with the ulw software and are the imaging capabilities of RFES worth getting it?

thanks again

bruce

[josher89]

Bruce,

Here is the URL for downloading the 5.1.5 version.

https://www.leo.gov/http://leowcs.leopr ... ams/iafis/

You will have to log in to leo.gov first. Then paste this URL in the address bar. Once the page loads up, select the Universal Latent Workstation Information zip file. This will start the download of the program and the help files.

First off, let me say that ULW is integrated with our state AFIS workstations. Therefore, we can search the state AFIS and at the same time, send off a search via ULW for IAFIS. That being said, if we get an IAFIS hit, the only response we get is a name and FBI#. But, with ULW, you can create an 'Image Request' file, send the file off like you were searching a latent print, and the response will be the individuals 10-prints, not canidates for a latent ident. Added on to ULW is a program called uPrint, which, once the 10-print images are received (in a small file), uPrint will decompress the images, organize them on a 10-print card, and you can print the card on your fingerprint card printer. Or, you can save the file as a .bmp and use the digital images for your comparison.

The old fashioned way was to contact the FBI, have them mail you a card of the individual, and wait a week or more to get it. Or, to contact the arresting agency (if they are out of state and not in your AFIS) and try and get a card that way. An issue was brought up about how "secure" and "accurate" the 10-print card downloaded from the FBI really was. After I explained the security features built within ULW, leo.gov, and our state AFIS, they agreed that it would be easier to intercept the hard card in the mail than change the transmission of the digital copy.

FBI's CJIS Division sponsors training for ULW software (it's one and a half days) and they are going to continue to support ULW. The RFES application will no longer be supported by the FBI (if it hasn't happened already) meaning if you have problems with RFES, they won't troubleshoot. You can still use RFES, but without support. Pluse, you hvae to worry about a dial-up modem and the responses can take forever. ULW can be sent over your network through to the FBI. With a leo.gov account and ULW, you can search FPs from home or any computer at work. I can explain that in a later post.

Hope this answers some of your quesitons. Oh wait, the imaging capabilities. ULW has several built-in "Photoshop-like" filters that are extremely useful. The trace filter works amazingly well and you can use it to trace ridges, furrows (valleys) or do black and whites of both. It has a decent pattern removal filter as well. If you have at least 15 folks willing to learn ULW (can be from other agencies) FBI/CJIS will send someone out for the training. I can PM you the email address of the individual that you can talk to about organizing the training.

Josh Connelly

[Isearch4clues]

We have both ULW and REFFS. I like REFFS much better and we currently use it when running a print through IAFIS. If you call Clarksville CJIS the guys that put the software together will walk you through the setup and explaine all it will do for you. They are the ones that suggested REFFS when I first set it up.