In Dallas County, sheriff’s employees are fingerprinted to pay their salaries.

In Dallas County, workers will soon be able to scan their fingers to receive their pay.

Commissioners approved the purchase of 119 biometric time and attendance devices and ID readers that use fingerprint and facial recognition to minimize wage fraud and maximize security.

A recent data theft and computer system crash has made some people nervous about new technology.

Commissioner Elba Garcia asked whether the software and equipment would be tested before being put into operation.

“I just want to be cautious about the nightmare we have here with the technology,” Garcia said.

District Administrator Darryl Martin said the goal is to have the new equipment and software running smoothly before the new year.

“The hardest part is going to be the fingerprinting and fingerprinting,” Martin said. “So that’s the part that takes some time and practice.”

Commissioner John Wiley Price said money accelerates learning.

“Fool, if you don’t put the right finger up there, you don’t get paid,” he said. “Damn it, I mean, it’s pretty simple. Put a big sign up there that says, ‘Fool, that’s your finger, that’s your finger if you want to get paid.'”

The UKG Touch DX biometric time and attendance devices (Kronos) cost more than half a million dollars, but could have helped avoid a potential $50 million budget shortfall.

High levels of overtime and certain sick pay payments at sheriff’s and youth departments recently raised suspicions of abuse and led to panic about budget consolidation.

Some employees reported working 18 hours a day, seven days a week.

Price said the new system makes it easier to detect fraud and abuse.

“This damn biometrics – if you encounter it, whether it’s overtime or compensatory time off, it will give a signal.”

To test the first batch of time clocks, the Sheriff’s Department will use the new UKG TeleStaff (Kronos) scheduling software.

The next property is used by the youth department.

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