Fingerprint analysis

Pre-Lesson Reading

1. Fingerprint Principles:
According to criminal investigators, the use of fingerprint follows 3 fundamental
principles:
a. A fingerprint is an individual characteristics because no two fingers have
yet been found to possess identical ridge characteristics.
b. A fingerprint remains unchanged during an individual’s lifetime.
c. Fingerprints have general ridge patterns that permit them to be
systematically classified.

2. Origin of fingerprint:
a. Take a look at your fingertip. You’ll see small ridges made of skin. The ridges have
a purpose. They help you get a better grip on stuff you pick up.
b. The ridges develop in the womb and remain the same throughout life, barring
some sort of scarring or trauma to the deep skin layer. Although people grow and
increase in size, the ridges became permanent and fixed in their patterns from
about 17 weeks of embryonic development, ridge patterns do not change like
other parts of our bodies.
c. When the finger touches a surface, perspiration and oils are transferred onto that
surface, leaving a pattern called fingerprints.

3. All fingerprints are classified into three categories on the basis

of their general patterns:
a. Arches
 Ridges enter on one side and exit on the other side.
 Approximately 6% of people exhibit this pattern
 Types are plain arch and tented arch

b. Loops
 Ridges enter on one side and exit on the SAME side.
 Approximately 60% of people exhibit this pattern
 Types are ulnar loop and radial loop

c. Whorls
 Consists of circles, spirals.
 Approximately 34% of people exhibit this pattern
 Types are plain whorl, central pocket whorl, double
loop whorl and accidental whorl
1
2
3
4. Types of fingerprint evidence:
a. Patent prints
These are clearly visible. They’re made when you touch something like paint or
blood and then touch other surfaces.
b. Latent prints
They’re formed when you touch something and the oil and sweat on your hand
leaves a print. Latent prints are mostly invisible to the naked eye. Fingerprinting
dust makes them visible.
c. Physical prints
These are made when you touch something like gum that leaves a clear
impression of your prints.

5. Three common methods of latent print enhancement:

a. Lifting powder Application
 Work bests upon smooth solid surface, e.g. walls, glass, knife.
 Fingerprint powders are colored, fluorescent, or magnetic materials that are
very finely ground and are brushed lightly over a suspected print to produce
contrast to the background. These powders typically are available in black,
white and other colors, including metallic.
 Once the lifting powder has been successfully applied a fingerprint is then
“lifted” using a wide piece of clear smooth tape.
b. Iodine Fumigation
 Work bests upon light-colored light weight/low density objects, e.g. paper,
fabrics
 A small amount of iodine is placed at the bottom of a glass chamber. The
object bearing the suspected latent prints is then suspended from the top of
the chamber. The chamber is then sealed and chemical reaction occurs.
The latent fingerprints become dark brown in colour and photograph of the
fingerprint will be taken.
WARNING: Iodine is irritating to skin and eyes. Do not breathe in iodine vapours.

c. Cryanoacrylate Fumigation
 Cryanoacrylate is a very strong glue. It has tendency to stick to the body oil
residue found in fingerprints.
 Work bests upon dark-colored dense objects, e.g. guns, knife handles.
 When Cryanoacrylate begins to react with the body oil residue in a
fingerprint, it leaves behind a whitish-grey film which is visible to the human
eye. Photograph of the fingerprint will be taken.

4
Lesson 2 Fingerprints

Worksheet 2.1 Fingerprint Basics

1. Classify each of the following prints as loop, whorl or arch.

a. b. c.

2. While searching a murder scene, you believe the following items may contain latent
fingerprints. Indicate whether prints on each item should be developed using
fingerprint powder or chemicals.

a. A leather sofa
b. A mirror
c. A painted wooden knife
handle
d. Blood-soaked newspapers

3. Fingerprints that deposited on a surface when oils and sweat are excreted from pores
on the friction ridges are called ________________ fingerprints.

4. The most common fingerprint pattern is the _________________ .

5. True or False
a. The individuality of a fingerprint is determined by its
pattern.
b. Fingerprints cannot be changed during a person’s
lifetime.
c. Arches have type lines, deltas and cores.
d. Identical twins have the same fingerprints.
e. Computerized fingerprint search systems match prints
by comparing the positions of bifurcations and ridge
endings.
f. A fingerprint left by a person with soiled or stained
fingertips is called a latent print.

5
Practice the identification skills

e.g. fork

Figure 1 ______________________________

6
Instruction:
1. Examine the fingerprint (Figure 1) with a magnifying glass if necessary.
2. To which class does the fingerprint pattern belong? Write down your answer.
3. Use Table 1 to help identify fingerprint ridgeline details. Locate and label at least 8
positions of ridgeline details in Figure 1.

Table 1 Fingerprint ridge details

Fork

Double Fork

Triple Fork

Delta

Dot

Bridge

Hook

Eye

Short Ridge

Ending Ridge

Analyzing Fingerprints

Take the prints from your fingertips and collect the prints of 3 other students. Identify the
specific type. You may try to use a magnifying glass.

7
Left Hand Prints

Suspect
Thumb Index Middle Ring Pinky
Name

Type: Type: Type: Type: Type:

Type: Type: Type: Type: Type:

Type: Type: Type: Type: Type:

Type: Type: Type: Type: Type:

8
Left Hand Prints

Suspect
Thumb Index Middle Ring Pinky
Name

Type: Type: Type: Type: Type:

Type: Type: Type: Type: Type:

Type: Type: Type: Type: Type:

Type: Type: Type: Type: Type:

9
Worksheet 2.4 Try out the steps in analysing and comparing fingerprints

Case Profile
A suspect was arrested in a burglary case. When the suspect was fingerprinted, the desk
sergeant noticed something very unusual – his fingerprints somehow had been altered. The
suspect admitted that he had peeled off the skin from one of his thumbs and transplanted
it onto another thumb. The suspect even claimed that “I have new thumbprints. I am a
clean person.”
Furthermore, the police have recovered an excellent latent thumbprint from an unsolved
burglary case 3 years ago. There are some indications that these 2 cases may be related.

The recovered print and the suspect’s new thumbprints are provided for your analysis.
Can a match be made between the direct thumbprints from the suspect and the latent
thumbprint found at the crime scene? Imagine you are fingerprint examiner and you
need to evaluate the presented evidence, reach conclusions and provide findings in a
report to the law enforcement authorities and the court.

Known left
thumbprint from suspect
Known right thumbprint from suspect
The five steps in analysing and comparing
fingerprints:
Step 1: Identify the general type of the
central area of the fingerprint.
Step 2: Match fingerprint ridgeline details.
Step 3: Compare the unknown print and the
known print, point by point, feature by
feature, to see if they match.
Step 4: Evaluate whether the unknown print
Recovered print from burglary matches the known print or not.
scene Step 5: A second examiner verifies the
results.

10
 Report

Known left thumbprint from suspect

Known right thumbprint from suspect

11
 Recovered print from burglary scene

Can the suspect be identified? Summarize your findings and report conclusions to law
enforcement authorities and the court. (Paragraph 3 of Expert Testimony)

12