Fingerprints

An introduction
 Fingerprints

 Are Infallible?
 DNA is the same for identical twins;
not fingerprints
Unique & Permanent – absolute
No two fingers have the same print
 Fingerprints
Think of corduroy pants
 Skin

 The largest organ of the body

 2 mm thick
 weighs approximately 6 pounds
 Consists of different types of cells
 Helps us keep our shape, defensive
mechanism
 Maintain homeostasis – function of
skin – perspire; temperature control
 Skin

 Friction skin is nature’s way for use to

grasp things
 All primates have friction skin;
Man, Women, Great Apes, Baboons,
Chimps, Monkeys,
Lemur(Madagascar),
Tarsier
(nocturnal tree dwelling East Indies)
 Skin

 No hair on friction skin

 Sebaceous glands or fat not on friction
skin
 Skin replenishes itself every 30 days
 Fingerprints

 Fingerprints start to form at the end of

the 1st trimester
 3 months – patterns similar;
arrangement of the ridges is different;
Unique characteristics – Ending ridge,
bifurcation, enclosure
 Fingerprints

 Pressures & stresses w/fetus;

 reason prints are not the same
develop differently – DNA is same
Equipment

 The basic equipment required for

inked prints consists of an inking plate,
cardholder, printers ink and a roller.
 Upper ten Prints
 Thumb, index, middle, ring and little
fingers on each hand in the order
named. These are called rolled
impressions.
 The impressions at the bottom of the
fingerprint card are taken simultaneously
printing each hand and then the thumbs.
 Purpose of SP to measure natural spread

Of the total HP and match bottom w/top

Causes for Illegible Prints
 Failure to reproduce the focal points because the
finger was not fully rolled.
 Smeared Prints
 Allowing the fingers to slip or twist.
 Use of improper inks.
 Failure to clean the subjects fingers.
 Failure to keep equipment clean.
 Use of to much or to little ink.
 Recording fingerprints impressions within the wrong
blocks on the print card.
Fingerprints must contain a clear
impression of the delta, core and ridges
to be classified
Delta and Core are the reference points
within the fingerprint pattern necessary to
classify fingerprints.
 Loop

 Loops constitute between

60 and 70 per cent of the
patterns encountered

Loops constitute between 60 and 70 per cent of the patterns encountered. In a loop pattern, one or more of the ridges enters on either side of the impression,
recurves, touches or crosses the line of the glass running from the delta to the core, and terminates or tends to terminate on or in the direction of the side where
the ridge or ridges entered. There is one delta. On the right you will see a loop pattern. You will notice that it has one delta (shown in the blue box) and a core
 WHORLS

 Between 25 and 35
per cent of the
patterns encountered
consist of whorls
 ARCHES

 Arches
represent only
about 5 per cent
of the fingerprint
patterns
encountered
Definitions:

 Fingerprint- an inked impression of the

curves found by the system of ridges
on the skin surface of the distal area
of a finger.
 Latent Print- An impression of the
finger or palm left on an object when
the object has been touched.
Fingerprints cannot be
used to determine the age,
race or sex of any person.
Major case prints- Consist of recordings
of all friction ridge details present on
the palm surfaces of the hand and the
inner surfaces of the fingers.
Advantages of
Fingerprints for L.E.
 Most positive form  Simple to
of identification implement and
 Not dependant on economical to use.
personal  Will disprove false
appearance claims quickly.
Fingerprinting
Historical Background
 1904- Leavenworth Penitentiary
established fingerprint files.
 1924- FBI Identification Division was
established.
 1933- FBI Fingerprint Section was
established
 Acceptable form of criminal
identification since early 20th century
1901/1902/1903

 01/marked the official introduction of

fingerprinting for criminal identification in
England and Wales.
 02/ is the first year in which the first known
systematic use of fingerprinting began in
the United States
 03/ New York prison system began using
fingerprinting for criminal identification.
The West Case

 Will West imprisoned at Leavenworth denied

previous incarceration at this prison.
 A clerk found an almost identical file of one
William West whose physical measurements
were nearly identical to Will West.
 A photograph of Will West appeared
practically identical also.
West Case Continued.

 But Will West was not being

untruthful.
 Fingerprints were taken from both
men and found to be different.
 William West was currently
incarcerated at Leavenworth.
FD-258 FBI Fingerprint Card

 This white card with blue ink is used by law

enforcement agencies to capture the
fingerprints of applicants interested in law
enforcement positions; U.S. government
agencies and other entities that require
fingerprinting by federal law; officials and
local governments for purpose of permits,
licensing, and employment; and officials of
federally chartered or insured banking
institutions.
FD-353 Personal Identification Card

 Used to capture children's

fingerprints so that their parents
have a record of them, these cards
are white with green ink.
 FD-884 Palm Print Card

 The palm print card was designed to

encourage state and local agencies to
capture a person's palm prints to help
solve more crimes through latent print
identification. This white card with red ink
cannot be used alone in place of the
actual fingerprint card but is a
supplement to the criminal or civil
fingerprint card.
 FD-249 Criminal Card

 The white FD-249 card with red ink

is the arrest and institution
fingerprint card. It is used to reveal
your criminal history.
 Live Scan Card

The live scan card is a blank card

that's used by any agency that has
a live scan machine. This machine
prints the complete card (i.e., lines,
blocks and headings) and fills in
each of the fields with your
fingerprint impressions.
 Classification

 Classification of fingerprints provides

orderly placing of fingerprint cards in a
file with systematic filing of an original
card. Any subsequent card of that
individual falls in the same section of
the file and a search of the section
quickly yields the earlier record.
FBI Identification Section
 The FBI maintains two separate types of
files.
 Criminal File and Civil File
 Individuals arrested and convicted of serious
crimes are maintained in the criminal file.
 1933 the US Civil Service Commission
turned over 140, 000 fingerprints of
Government employees/ thus the creation
of the Civil Files.
How many?

 1991- 86,079,261 civil prints on file

 1991- 107,058,738 criminal prints on
file.
The Print

 There are three fingerprint types

 Loop
 Arch

 Whorl
NHP Records and ID
services/ WIN/ AFIS
Project.
 AFIS- Automated Fingerprint
Identification System
 WIN- Western Identification Network
AFIS- How it works

 AFIS is a complicated Computer

system.
– Three basis functions
 Searches rolled fingerprints
 Future identification

 Search and identify latent prints left at crime

scenes
WIN/ AFIS

 WIN/AFIS has put Law Enforcement at

the forefront of technology in regards
to fingerprint technology.
Ink Prints/ Rolled Prints

 There is no correct or incorrect way to

obtain inked prints.
 There are easy ways to roll a finger
print for the officer and the suspect.
 Always remember “Officer Safety”
first.
Handling the Suspect for
printing
 It is easiest to explain the process to
the suspect and what will be expected
of him/her.
 Their cooperation will make the
process be quicker, however, you will
obtain the fingerprints.
Have equipment set up.

 Prior to beginning  Ink pads.

any fingerprinting  Print cards.
always set up the  Cleaning materials.
necessary
equipment.  Rubber gloves.
 An assistant.
Rolling the Print
 Have the subject place the finger being
printed onto the ink pad.
 Hold the finger being printed and turn the
blade side of the hand upward.
 Place the edge of the finger on the print
card and roll the finger. Continue all the way
past the ink on the finger.
 Only use slight pressure on the finger being
printed to avoid smearing.
Inked/Rolled Print

 Have subject clean the finger printed

after each roll. This will avoid smudge
marks on the card.
 Complete all fingers and palm as
shown on the fingerprint card.
Crime Scene prints.

 A variety of information can be left at

crime scenes including finger prints.
Three print types

 Plastic Finger Prints

 Visible Prints
 Latent Prints
Plastic Prints

 When a finger presses against a

surface such as plastic that leaves a
negative print
 Such a print may be found in fresh
paint, gum, adhesive tape candle wax,
etc,.
Prints Contaminated by
foreign matter/ Visible
Prints
 Most common is a Dust Print.
 When a finger is placed on dust some
dust adheres to the ridges of the
finger, when the finger is again
pressed against an object the dust is
re-deposited.
Latent Print

 Small amounts of sweat,grease and

dirt being on an object being touched
by the friction ridge pattern on the tip
of the finger.
 Latent prints may or may not be
visible.
Developing Latent Prints

 Development of latent prints is done

by brushing finger print powder over a
print.
 Print powders come in various colors
but the most common used are light
(gray) and dark (black).
Development of latent
prints
 As a rule use dark powder on light
colored objects and light colored
powder on dark objects.
 There are several different types of
powder brushes. Fiberglass, camel
hair, feather and nylon brushes are a
few examples.
To develop the print

 Dip the brush into the powder so that

only a small amount of powder is on
the tip of the brush
 lightly brush the area where the print
may be located
 Never sprinkle the powder over the
object.
 Too much powder will blur the print
Lifting the print

 When lifting the print use a clear

plastic tape.
 Finger print tape is available
 Print cards are also available
 Place the tape over the print that has
been developed. Press the tape
around the print and then lift the tape.
Place the print onto a
opposing color card.
Date, initial,write the case
number, name and your
name on the back of the
card. Also write the
location the print was
lifted.
Prints at Autopsy

 These are inked or rolled prints

 You will normally break fingers if they
have curled.
 Don’t worry, they don’t feel a thing.
Remember you are not an
expert even after this
class.