RALEIGH, N.C. — From driver's license checks to hazardous spill clarification, law enforcement get valuable information right where they work on the road. However, they still do not have access to photographs to further cross-reference identification.

"We've had problems with sometimes people giving us false information. By having a picture pop up on the screen, we could quickly identify the person and make sure they're telling us the truth," said Trooper Darryl Ford, of the state Highway Patrol.

Allan Sadowski, technical manager for the Highway Patrol's X-Files project, is working to link law enforcement and courts to the picture databases for the DMV and corrections.

Instead of just text, officers could access photos from prison escapees, missing children, and all licensed drivers.

Condensing the photos and linking agencies' computers is not a simple task, so it could be three to five years before X-Files reaches every police car. Still, Sadowski said North Carolina is a national leader in the push for picture verification.

The state won a homeland security grant to implement a pilot program for sending pictures to police cars. Departments in Fayetteville and Wake County hope to start using the technology later this year.