FINGERPRINTS

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 INTRODUCTION
• The History of fingerprints
• The formation of friction skin
• The basic pattern types
• The breakdown of the different patterns
• Classification vs. Identification
• Inked and major case finger prints
• Problematic fingerprints

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 THE HISTORY OF FINGERPRINTS

Since the beginning of time man has tried to

identify one another.
• Scaring
• Tattooing
• Jewelry
• Clothing

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The first attempt at personal
identification was devised by a
French police expert, Alphonse
Bertillion.

The Bertillion system relied on a

detailed description of the subject:
• Name
• Photograph(s)
• Measurements of skull and other
bones

* Method used until the William West Case*

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 HISTORY CONTINUED
In 1892 Francis Galton published his classic textbook Finger Prints.
At Galton’s insistence, the British government adopted fingerprinting
as a supplement to the Bertillion system. (He was onto something
here!)
The next step was the creation of classification systems capable of
filing thousands of prints in a logical and searchable
sequence…NBD…

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Dr. Juan Vucetich devised a classification system still used in most
Spanish-speaking countries

Sir Edward Henry devised another classification system used in

most English-speaking countries.

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 AND MORE HISTORY!

• In 1903 Leavenworth Penitentary, the Bertillion system could

not distinguish between two men but fingerprints did!
As a result:
1901 New York City Civil Service Commission
1904 American police were trained by Scotland Yard
representatives at the World’s Fair, major U.S. cities all
began to use fingerprints for identification

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 Will West

William West

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The reproduction, on a surface, of the pattern
or design formed by the friction ridges on
the inside of the fingers or thumbs.

What would happen without friction ridge?

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 FINGERPRINT CONTINUED

• 99-99.5% of a fingerprint is water, .5-1% is

made up of inorganic material
• Once the finger touches a surface,
perspiration, along with oils that may have
been picked up by touching the hairy
portions of the body, is transferred onto that
surface, leaving the finger’s ridge pattern (a
fingerprint).
• Prints deposited in this manner are invisible
to the eye and are commonly referred to a
latent fingerprints.

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 PATENT PRINT
• Visible prints are made when fingers
touch a surface after the ridges have
been in contact with a colored
material such as blood, paint, grease,
or ink.
• Plastic prints are ridge impressions
left on a soft material, such as putty,
wax, soap, or dust.
• Locating visible or plastic prints at
the crime scene normally presents
little problem to the investigator,
because these prints are usually
distinct and visible to the eye.

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• The epidermis is the outer layer of the skin, while the dermis
is the inner layer of the skin.
• The dermal papillae is the layer of cells between the epidermis
and dermis, that is responsible for determining the form and
pattern of the ridges on the surface of the skin.

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• Fingerprints are a reproduction of friction skin ridges found on
the palm side of the fingers and thumbs
• Formation of fingerprints start in the womb and remain
unchanged throughout an individuals lifetime and are unique to
each person
• Each skin ridge is populated with pores leading to sweat glands,
from which perspiration is deposited on the skin.

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 ACE-V

• A four-step process to identify and individualize a finger print:

1. Analysis
2. Comparison: compare the questioned print at (3) levels.
3. Identify
4. Verification: examiner’s conclusion is confirmed by a second
examiner.

After this is completed it is peer reviewed and then entered into

AFIS/IAFIS

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• The individuality of a fingerprint is not determined by its
general shape or pattern, but by the careful study of its
ridge characteristics, known as minutiae.

• It is the identity, number, and relative location of these

minutiae that gives individuality to a fingerprint.

• There are as many as 150 minutiae on the average finger.

• The United States, has no predetermined minimum

number of friction ridge characters (aka points) which
must be present in two impressions in order to establish
positive identification.
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• Cores
• Deltas
• Ridge Detail
• Bifurcation's
• Island or short ridge
• Ridge Endings
• Enclosures
• Dots
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BASIC FINGERPRINT PATTERNS
Remember that the pattern will do what the name implies.

• Arch
• Loop
• Whorl

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 THE ARCH
• Simplest pattern which has no core or delta
• The least common approximately 5% of the
population
Two distinct groups:
• The plain arch is formed by ridges entering from
one side of the print, rising and falling like a wave
• The tented arch has a sharp up thrust or spike, or
the ridges meet at an angle that is less than 90
degrees.
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PLAIN ARCH AKA THE WAVE

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TENTED ARCH NOT QUITE 90

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 LOOPS

• Approx. 60 to 65% of the population.

• A loop must have one or more ridges entering from
one side of the print, recurving, and exiting from the
same side. (in and out)
• Must have one delta
• The center of the loop pattern is known as the core

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 TWO TYPES OF LOOPS
• The Radial Loop
• pattern flows toward the
thumb

• The Ulnar Loop

• pattern flows toward the
little finger

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 THE LOOP

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 WHORLS
• 30-35% of the population have whorls
• A minimum of two deltas.
• A plain whorl and a central pocket loop have at least
one ridge that makes a complete circuit.
• The double loop is made up of two loops combined into one
fingerprint.

• An accidental either contains two or more patterns, or is a

pattern not covered by the other categories. Hence, an
accidental may consist of a combination loop and plain whorl or
loop and tented arch.
• Rare

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 PLAIN WHORL

• Must have a
recurving line
between the deltas
• Tracing

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 CENTRAL POCKET LOOP WHORL

• Has no recurving
line between deltas.

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 DOUBLE LOOP WHORL

• Two separate loop

patterns

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 ACCIDENTAL WHORL

• Any pattern that

does not fit into any
of the other pattern
type
• Very rare!

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 Testifying aka Terrifying!

In a judicial proceeding, an expert must

demonstrate a point-by-point comparison in order
to prove the identity of an individual.
(Remember: No pressure!) ☺

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 AFIS
• Scan and digitally encode fingerprints
so that they can be subject to high-
speed computer processing.
• A computer can make thousands of
comparisons per second, the computer
produces a list of file prints that must
be examined by a trained fingerprint
expert

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 DETECTING PRINTS ON NON-
POROUS SURFACES
• Non-porous surfaces (glass, mirror, tile, and painted wood)
are preferably developed by the application of a powder
• Porous surfaces (papers, cardboard, and cloth) generally
require treatment with a chemical. *Think of a sponge*
• The type of surface will determine the process
• Process “dry to wet”
• Powder is available in every and any color and adhere to the
moisture in fingerprints

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 NON-POROUS SURFACES
• Super Glue® is approximately 98 to 99 percent cyanoacrylate
ester, a chemical that actually interacts with and visualizes a
latent fingerprint.
• Super Glue® fuming develops latent prints on nonporous surfaces,
such as metals, electrical tape, leather, and plastic bags.
• Development occurs when fumes from the glue adhere to the print,
usually producing a white latent print.

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ALTERNATE LIGHT SOURCE

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ALTERNATE LIGHT SOURCE

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MAGNETIC POWDER
• Paper
• Cardboard
• Wood

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NINHYDRIN • Ninhydrin reacts
chemically with trace
amounts of amino acids
present in latent prints
• It’s the chemical
method of choice.
• Will fade over time

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 POROUS SURFACES
• Iodine fuming involves heating iodine crystals that cause vapors
which combine with latent prints to make them visible.
• Iodine prints are not permanent and will fade, making it necessary
to photograph the prints immediately.
• AKA Shake and Bake method

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Latent Print Collection Tools

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 Photography

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Enhancing latent prints – digital media

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