1. Characteristics of Fingerprints

2. History of Fingerprinting
Used in China to seal documents for 3,000 years
Unclear if it was meant for identification
Thumbprint was legal signature
1600s-1800s
Ridge patterns found on fingertips
Ridge patterns broken into 9 groups
1858
William James Herschel developed system of using thumbprints to identify individuals collecting pensions
First use for criminal investigation

3. History of Fingerprinting
1882
Gilbert Thompson first person to use fingerprints in the United States
Also used patterns to identify fraud
1883
First human ID system devised
Based upon exact body size
Assumed body remained the same after age 20
Consisted of 11 measurements including reach, height, head size, etc.
Thrown out around the turn of the century in favor of fingerprints

4. History of Fingerprinting
1891
Juan Vucetich is first person to collect fingerprints and keep them on file
First person to solve a murder using fingerprint evidence
Mother killed her two sons – left a bloody handprint on a door post

5. History of Fingerprinting
1892
Francis Galton publishes Fingerprints
Cousin of Charles Darwin
Setup methods for identification and structure of fingerprints
Believed fingerprints were unique and unchanging
Odds that two individuals having the same fingerprints is 1 in 64 billion
Designs system to categorize large numbers of prints
Still in use today

6. History of Fingerprinting
1896
Edward Henry developed fingerprinting system to track criminals in England
Assigned to Scotland Yard
Broke down fingerprints into loops, arches, whorls, and composites
1902
First use of fingerprints in the US for criminal reasons
NY state prison system starting fingerprinting its criminals
Creates the modern “Ten card”

7. History of Fingerprinting
1908
All US Armed Services fingerprint their troops
Modern system put into service
Uses printers ink and standardized cards
1972
FBI develops first computerized reader of fingerprints
Now has the largest collection in world
1998
AFIS (Automated Fingerprint Identification System) is born

8. Automated Fingerprint Identification System
International in use
Based on laser scanning
Database looks for matching characteristics between prints on file and suspect
Based on “minutae”
Looks at “constellations”

9. AFIS

10. Fingerprints as Evidence
Has been tested considerably in court
Most recent attempt was in 1999 but was ruled admissable
Issue is that there is no standard for matching
Prints are not matched for 100% accuracy
Look to match “constellations” of major features

11. Basic Characteristics
No two have ever found to be the same (including twins)
Prints remain unchanged throughout an individuals life
Individually NOT determined by general shape or pattern
Identified by ridge characteristics
Point by point matches must be used in court to establish guilt/innocence
Average fingerprint contains 150 individual ridge characteristics
8 to 16 characteristics is generally considered adequate for a match in court
Even if attempt is made to destroy, some characteristics always grow back

12. Structure of Fingerprints
Ridges
High points of a print
Grooves
Low points of prints
Epidermis
Outermost layer of skin
Contains print details
Outer covering is Non-living
Dermis
Inner layer of skin
Living tissue
Contains sweat and oil glands

13. Structure of Fingerprints
Papillae
Boundary between dermis and epidermis
Determines the form and pattern of prints
If an injury is deeper then this layer, scarring will result
Pores
Each ridge contains one row
Used to channel sweat from sweat ducts to the skin’s surface
Sweat mixes with oils, etc. and is deposited on any surface the finger touches
Often invisible to the human eye and are called latent fingerprints

14. Basic Skin Structure

15. Major Print Features Ridge Ending Short Ridge Bifurcation Enclosure
The end of a normal ridge
Short Ridge
A very short ridge
Bifurcation
One ridge separated into two
Enclosure
A small section of ridge that forms a loop

16. Ridge Classification Categories
Loops
60% - 65% of population
Two types
Whorls
30% - 35% of population
Four distinct groups
Arches
5% of population
Two distinct groups

17. Loop Classifications Loops have three parts 2 Major types of loops
Core
Center of the loop
Type Line
Ridges that diverge from each other
Delta
Closest ridge to the type lines
2 Major types of loops
Radial Loop (Radius = outer arm bone)
Loop opens toward the little finger
Ulnar Loop (Ulna = inner arm bone)
Loop opens toward thumb

18. Loop Fingerprint

19. Whorl Classifications
Must have type lines and at least two deltas
Four types
Plain
Has at least one ridge that forms a circle or oval
An imaginary line drawn between two deltas will cross the circles
Central Pocket Whorl
An imaginary line drawn between two deltas will not cross the circles

20. Whorl Classification Four Types (cont.) Double Loop Accidental
Has two loops combined into one print
Accidental
Print containing two or more different patterns or not covered in other categories
Greater than 2 deltas

21. Whorl Fingerprint

22. Whorl Fingerprint
An example of an accidental whorl. Note the presence of three deltas.

23. Arch Classification No loops, type lines or deltas Two groups
Plain arches
Simplest of all patterns
Ridges enter from one side of the print and exit out the other
Ridges tend to rise in the middle of the print
“Wavelike” pattern
Tent arches
Center rises at sharp angle

24. Arch Fingerprint

25. Fingerprint Analysis Worksheet

26. Fingerprint Analysis Worksheet

27. Fingerprint Analysis Worksheet

28. Fingerprint Analysis Worksheet

29. Fingerprint Analysis Worksheet

30. Fingerprint Analysis Worksheet

31. The FBI “Ten Card” Classification System
The first classification step in the FBI system
System divides all fingerprints into one of 1,024 categories
Based upon presence/absence of a whorl

32. The FBI “Ten Card” Classification System
Fingers are paired according to following method below:
R. index R. ring L. thumb L. middle L. little
R. thumb R. middle R. little L. index L. ring

33. The FBI “Ten Card” Classification System
If a whorl is found on any finger of the first pair, a value of 16 is given
...second pair, value of 8
...third pair, value of 4
...fourth pair, value of 2
...fifth pair, value of 1
Any finger having a loop or arch pattern is given a zero
After values for all ten fingers are found, numerators and denominators are added up for a fractional classification number
Finally, 1/1 is added to the total value for the final classification