FINGERPRINTS

History of Fingerprints

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?

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

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

HISTORY OF FINGERPRINTING
The

first systematic attempt at

personal identification was
devised and introduced by the
French police expert,
Alphonse Bertillon, in 1883.

Bertillons System
Relied on:
Portraite Parl Detailed description of the
individual
Full length and profile photographs
Anthropometry A system of precise body
measurements

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

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

FRANCIS GALTON

No two prints are identical

An individuals prints remain
unchanged from one year to the
next

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

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

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

PHYSIOLOGY OF
FINGERPRINTS

FUNDAMENTALS OF FINGERPRINTS

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

FUNDAMENTALS OF FINGERPRINTS

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

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!!)

FUNDAMENTALS OF FINGERPRINTS

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

FUNDAMENTALS OF FINGERPRINTS

MINUTIAE - Ridge Characteristics

Define Individuality

IDENTITY
NUMBER
RELATIVE LOCATION
COMPARE POINT BY POINT
POSSIBLY 150 POINTS ON THE AVERAGE
FINGERPRINT

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

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)

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

SKIN

SKIN RIDGES CONTAIN PORES

Openings for ducts from sweat glands
Perspiration discharged to surface of skin
Transfer is called LATENT FINGERPRINTS

FUNDAMENTALS OF FINGERPRINTS

ARCHES
5%

LOOPS
60% - 65%

WHORLS
30% - 35%

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

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

FUNDAMENTALS OF FINGERPRINTS

LOOPS -

CORE

TYPE LINES

DELTA

FUNDAMENTALS OF
FINGERPRINTS

WHORLS - FOUR TYPES

Plain
Central pocket loop
Double loop
Accidental

ALL HAVE TWO DELTAS & TYPE LINES

FINGERPRINT
DEVELOPMENT

Types of Fingerprints

VISIBLE RIDGES PLACED ON A SURFACE

AFTER CONTACT WITH A
COLORED MATERIAL
(blood, paint,grease, ink)

Types of Fingerprints
PLASTIC RIDGES LEFT ON A SOFT
MATERIAL
(putty, wax, soap, dust)

Types of Fingerprints
LATENT HIDDEN OR INVISIBLE
TRANSFER OF BODY PERSPIRATION
OR OILS
MUST BE ENHANCED

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

Types of Surfaces

POROUS
PAPER, CARDBOARD, CLOTH
ENHANCE WITH CHEMICALS

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

METHODS OF ENHANCEMENT

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

METHODS OF ENHANCEMENT

CHEMICALS
SUPER GLUE FUMING -

CYANOACRYLATE ESTER
NON-POROUS SURFACES
CREATE FUMES WITH HEAT
PORTABLE WAND AVAILABLE

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

PRESERVATION AND
COMPARISON OF
FINGERPRINTS

PRESERVATION OF ENHANCED
PRINTS

PHOTOGRAPHY

1:1 SCALE

LIFTING

TAPE
HINGED LIFTER

PRESERVATION OF ENHANCED
PRINTS
DIGITAL IMAGING

SCANNER

REMOVE BACKGROUND COLORS

DIGITAL CAMERA
VIDEO CAMERA
ENHANCE WITH FILTERS, CONTRAST OR
BRIGHTNESS
SCALING / RESIZING TOOLS
SIDE-BY-SIDE COMPARISON

AFIS
Automated
Fingerprint
Identification
System

AFIS
Automatic Scanning
Devices Convert Fingerprint
Image into Digital Minutiae

RIDGE ENDINGS
BIFURCATIONS

AFIS
Types of Databases

Arrest Prints (KNOWNS)

Forensic Prints (CRIME SCENE)

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

AFIS
THOUSANDS

OF COMPARISONS
PER SECOND

ALL

SELECTED PRINTS VERIFIED

BY TRAINED EXAMINER

STANDARDS

ENABLE AGENCIES TO
EASILY EXCHANGE DATA

FINGERPRINT EXAMINER
4

YEAR DEGREE
2+ YEARS TRAINING
CERTIFICATION PROGRAM

Written Test
Proficiency Test
Continuing Education

International

(IAI)

Association for Identification