FINGERPRINTS

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FINGERPRINTS
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History of Fingerprints
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HISTORY OF FINGERPRINTING

• Chinese used fingerprints to sign legal documents
  as far back as three thousand years ago
• William Herschel, an English civil servant
  (India), required natives to sign contracts with
  an imprint of their right hand Hindu custom?

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HISTORY OF FINGERPRINTING

• In 1880, Scottish physician, Henry Fauld wrote
  that skin ridge patterns could be important in
  identification work
• A thief left his fingerprint on a whitewashed
  wall compared with 1st suspect - No match
  compared with 2nd suspect with positive
  association

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HISTORY OF FINGERPRINTING

• Fauld offered to set up a system of fingerprints
  at Scotland Yard (at his own expense)
• Rejected in favor of the Bertillon System
• This decision reversed less than two decades later

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HISTORY OF FINGERPRINTING

• The first systematic attempt at personal
  identification was devised and introduced by the
  French police expert, Alphonse Bertillon, in 1883.

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Bertillons System

• Relied on
• Portraite Parlé Detailed description of the
  individual
• Full length and profile photographs
• Anthropometry A system of precise body
  measurements

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ANTHROPOMETRY

• A method of identification
• Based upon the premise that the dimensions of the
  human skeletal system remained fixed from age 20
  until death
• Eleven (11) measurements taken - to include
  height, width of head length of left foot

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FRANCIS GALTON

• In 1892, published the classic work Finger Prints
• In this book he discussed the anatomy of
  fingerprints and suggested methods for recording
  them
• Proposed three pattern types loops, whorls and
  arches

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FRANCIS GALTON

• No two prints are identical
• An individuals prints remain unchanged from one
  year to the next

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SIR EDWARD HENRY

• Englishman
• In 1897, proposed another classification system
  which is still in use today
• Most English-speaking countries use some version
  of Henrys classification system

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In the United States

• 1901 First systematic use of fingerprints
  adopted by the New York Civil Service Commission
• 1904 American police received training in
  fingerprint techniques from Scotland Yards
  representatives
• 1924 Fingerprint records from the Bureau of
  Investigation and Leavenworth merged to form
  records for the new FBI

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Admissibility of Fingerprints

• Challenged in the case of United States v. Byron
  C. Mitchell
• Argued under Daubert guidelines that fingerprints
  were not unique
• Judge upheld admissibility and ruled
• 1. Human friction ridges are unique
• and permanent
• 2. Human friction ridge skin arrangements
• are unique and permanent

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• PHYSIOLOGY OF FINGERPRINTS

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FUNDAMENTALS OF FINGERPRINTS

• FIRST PRINCIPLE
• Friction Ridges develop
• their Unique form
• in the fetus

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FUNDAMENTALS OF FINGERPRINTS

• SECOND PRINCIPLE
• A Fingerprint will remain
• LARGELY UNCHANGED
• during an
• Individuals Lifetime

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FUNDAMENTALS OF FINGERPRINTS

• THIRD PRINCIPLE
• Friction Ridge Patterns
• and their details
• are UNIQUE
• No Two Fingers have yet been
• found to possess IDENTICAL
• RIDGE CHARACTERISTICS
• (even identical twins!!)

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FUNDAMENTALS OF FINGERPRINTS

• FOURTH PRINCIPLE
• FINGERPRINTS CAN BE SYSTEMATICALLY CLASSIFIED by
  GENERAL RIDGE PATTERNS

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FUNDAMENTALS OF FINGERPRINTS

• MINUTIAE - Ridge Characteristics Define
  Individuality
• IDENTITY
• NUMBER
• RELATIVE LOCATION
• COMPARE POINT BY POINT
• POSSIBLY 150 POINTS ON THE AVERAGE FINGERPRINT

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FUNDAMENTALS OF FINGERPRINTS

• MINUTIAE - Ridge Characteristics Define
  Individuality
• HOW MANY POINTS
• MAKE A MATCH?
• Depends on experience and
• knowledge of the examiner
• Usually 8 to 16

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FUNDAMENTALS OF FINGERPRINTS

• FRICTION SKIN RIDGES
• Palm Side of Fingers and Thumbs
• Soles of Feet
• Provide Firmer Grasp
• Resistance to Slippage
• Lines corresponding to
• Hills (ridges) Valleys (grooves)

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SKIN

• COMPOSED OF
• LAYERS OF CELLS
• EPIDERMIS - OUTER
• DERMIS - INNER LAYER
• DERMAL PAPILLAE -
• IN BETWEEN

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SKIN

• SKIN RIDGES CONTAIN PORES
• Openings for ducts from sweat glands
• Perspiration discharged to surface of skin
• Transfer is called LATENT FINGERPRINTS

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FUNDAMENTALS OF FINGERPRINTS

• ARCHES
• 5
• LOOPS
• 60 - 65
• WHORLS
• 30 - 35

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FUNDAMENTALS OF FINGERPRINTS

• ARCHES - least common of three general patterns
• RIDGES ENTER ONE SIDE OF PATTERN AND EXIT ANOTHER
• PLAIN ARCHES - wavelike pattern
• TENTED ARCHES - sharp spike

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FUNDAMENTALS OF FINGERPRINTS

• LOOPS - most common type
• Ridges enter one side and exit same side
• ULNAR LOOP - opens toward little finger
• RADIAL LOOP - opens toward thumb

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FUNDAMENTALS OF FINGERPRINTS

• LOOPS -
• CORE
• TYPE LINES
• DELTA

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FUNDAMENTALS OF FINGERPRINTS

• WHORLS - FOUR TYPES
• Plain
• Central pocket loop
• Double loop
• Accidental
• ALL HAVE TWO DELTAS TYPE LINES

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• FINGERPRINT DEVELOPMENT

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Types of Fingerprints

• VISIBLE -
• RIDGES PLACED ON A SURFACE AFTER CONTACT WITH A
  COLORED MATERIAL
• (blood, paint,grease, ink)

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Types of Fingerprints

• PLASTIC -
• RIDGES LEFT ON A SOFT MATERIAL
• (putty, wax, soap, dust)

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Types of Fingerprints

• LATENT -
• HIDDEN OR INVISIBLE
• TRANSFER OF BODY PERSPIRATION OR OILS
• MUST BE ENHANCED

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Types of Surfaces

• NON-POROUS
• GLASS, MIRROR, PLASTIC, PAINTED SURFACES
• ENHANCE WITH SUPER GLUE and/or POWDER

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Types of Surfaces

• POROUS
• PAPER, CARDBOARD, CLOTH
• ENHANCE WITH CHEMICALS

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METHODS OF ENHANCEMENT

• FINGERPRINT POWDERS
• BLACK (white surfaces)
• GRAY (dark surfaces)
• FLUORESCENT (multi-colored surfaces)
• MAGNETIC (leather or rough plastic)
• ADHERES TO PERSPIRATION and/or BODY OILS

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METHODS OF ENHANCEMENT

• CHEMICALS
• IODINE FUMING
• NINHYDRIN -
• - REACTS WITH PROTEINS
• PHYSICAL DEVELOPER -
• - SILVER NITRATE BASED
• - USED WHEN OTHER METHODS UNSUCCESSFUL

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METHODS OF ENHANCEMENT

• CHEMICALS
• SUPER GLUE FUMING -
• CYANOACRYLATE ESTER
• NON-POROUS SURFACES
• CREATE FUMES WITH HEAT
• PORTABLE WAND AVAILABLE

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METHODS OF ENHANCEMENT

• FLUORESENCE
• PERSPIRATION CONTAINS COMPONENTS THAT FLUORESCE
  WHEN ILLUMINATED WITH LASER LIGHT
• HIGHLY SENSITIVE
• ALTERNATE LIGHT SOURCE
• QUARTZ HALOGEN
• ZENON ARC
• INDIUM ARC
• DOES NOT INTERFERE WITH DNA TESTING

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• PRESERVATION AND COMPARISON OF FINGERPRINTS

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PRESERVATION OF ENHANCED PRINTS

• PHOTOGRAPHY
• 11 SCALE
• LIFTING
• TAPE
• HINGED LIFTER

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PRESERVATION OF ENHANCED PRINTS

• DIGITAL IMAGING
• SCANNER
• DIGITAL CAMERA
• VIDEO CAMERA
• ENHANCE WITH FILTERS, CONTRAST OR BRIGHTNESS
• REMOVE BACKGROUND COLORS
• SCALING / RESIZING TOOLS
• SIDE-BY-SIDE COMPARISON

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A F I S

• Automated
• Fingerprint
• Identification
• System

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A F I S

• Automatic Scanning Devices Convert
  Fingerprint Image into Digital Minutiae
• RIDGE ENDINGS
• BIFURCATIONS

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A F I S

• Types of Databases
• Arrest Prints (KNOWNS)
• Forensic Prints (CRIME SCENE)

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A F I S

• SEARCH ALGORITHM DETERMINES DEGREE OF CORRELATION
  BETWEEN THE QUESTIONED AND KNOWN PRINTS

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A F I S

• THOUSANDS OF COMPARISONS PER SECOND
• ALL SELECTED PRINTS VERIFIED BY TRAINED EXAMINER
• STANDARDS ENABLE AGENCIES TO EASILY EXCHANGE DATA

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FINGERPRINT EXAMINER

• 4 YEAR DEGREE
• 2 YEARS TRAINING
• CERTIFICATION PROGRAM
• Written Test
• Proficiency Test
• Continuing Education
• International Association for Identification
  (IAI)