Fingerprint Analysis: Reliability & Standards

Personal Identification Techniques Course Description

• This course enumerates and describes personal identification techniques in crime detection & investigation.
• The course focuses on dactyloscopy, odontology, palmistry, and DNA profiling.
• It includes fingerprint recording, latent print development, and fingerprint identification/classification for court.
• Significance of fingerprints in crime solutions for law enforcers is also addressed.

Credit Units and Learning Outcomes

• Course amounts to 3 units, involving 2 hours of lecture and 2 hours of laboratory work, plus 1 hour of activity.
• At the end of the semester, students will be able to trace fingerprint identification's historical journey.
• Students will explain the different ordinary and scientific personal identification methods.
• Students will define basic fingerprint principles.
• Students will identify, illustrate, and explain different fingerprint patterns.
• Students will identify and illustrate various ridge characteristics.
• Students will define fingerprint pattern classification methods.
• They will also develop and lift latent fingerprint impressions.
• Students will conduct proper fingerprint impression recording.
• Students will thoroughly conduct fingerprint comparisons.

Course Requirements

• Portfolio assignments are by partner.
• Quizzes and examinations will be given.
• Recitation is included.
• Attendance will be tracked.

Flexible Learning Class Policies

• Students must be officially enrolled.
• Students must join the Google Classroom assigned per section.
• Students should access lessons and activities face to face or online.
• Classes must be attended online and face to face.
• Prescribed uniform must be worn during classes.
• Scheduled output submissions must be followed.
• Questions are entertained Tuesday-Wednesday, 6:00 pm-8:00 pm.
• Cheating results in automatic failure.

Prelims

• This includes methods of identification and personal identification techniques.
  • Personal identification techniques are: Forensic Anthropology, Forensic Odontology, DNA Profiling, and Fingerprint analysis.
• Principles of fingerprints are tested.
• Congenital finger abnormalities are covered.
• The brief history of fingerprints is included.

Midterms

• Allied Sciences of Fingerprints.
• Dactylography and Dactyloscopy.
• Pattern Interpretation.
• Ridge Characteristics.
• Focal Points.
• Ridge Counting and Ridge Tracing.
• Fingerprint Pattern and Fingerprint Classification.

Finals

• Latent Prints.
• Scientific method of recognition.
• Development and preservation of latent prints will be covered.
• Fingerprint Materials.
• Scientific method of taking fingerprints.
• A brief introduction of AFIS (Automated Fingerprint Identification System) wil be introduced.
• Laboratory.

Fingerprint Science

• Fingerprint science is instrumental for identification in the realm of law enforcement.
• Fingerprint formation begins during the embryo growth stage and perfects around 4 months.
• Friction ridges can be observed on design ends and joints.
• They can also be separate and cross each other.
• Individualized fingerprint characteristics are unaffected by physical growth.
• Aging also does not affect fingerprints.

Criminal Investigation & Fingerprints

• Fingerprint technology is crucial, as it prevents misidentification or misclassification.
• Fingerprint identification ensures absolute certainty in personal identification.
• Fingerprint individual characteristics mean no two persons can have exactly the same.
• Fingerprint ridges start development and differentiation on the third embryonic life stage.
• These ridges continue to grow until the developments of completion that are associated with the lifespan.

Personal Identification

• Personal refers to aspects belonging to an individual.
• Identification is the process of recognizing someone or something, or the state of being recognized.
• Personal identification is a process, technique, approach, or means to establish a person's identity.

Personal Identification Aspects

• Determination of a person's individuality.
• Acts or process of showing someone to be the same.
• Determination or establishment as a particular person or thing.
• Ascertaining supposed identity.

Importance of Person Identification

• Identification of the victim and offender must be established with respect to the protection of criminal offense.
• Identifying missing or presumed dead facilitates estate settlement, retirement, insurance, and social benefits.
• Heirs are vested in the right over identified person's properties.
• Identification eases anxiety when someone is missing or the victim of a calamity/criminal act.
• It is needed for transactions, and for parcel, mail and property handling.

Rules of Personal Identification

• Law of Multiplicity of Evidence: The greater the points of comparing people, the greater the probability for the correct conclusion.
• Identification points vary, such as fingerprints and bodily marks like moles for a cadaver.
• Longer intervals between death and remains examination requires more expert identity validation.
• Perishable objects must be timely handled.
• Procedure does not have a rigid rule.

Methods of Identification

• Comparison uses crime scene details against known records of the victim/suspect.
• Exclusion - a process of elimination.

Fingerprints

• As an impression
  • Fingerprints are reproductions of pattern/designs formed by ridges on fingers or thumbs via ink or coloring onto surfaces.
• As a science:
  • Fingerprints is a mean to identify someone via ridges on palms on the feet and fingers.
  • It is thought to be the most positive means of identification.

Nature of Fingerprints

• Fingerprint is a composite of ridge outlines that appear on the skin of the finger/thumb joints.
• It is an impression on a surface.

Ridge

• Ridge refers to a long, narrow chain of hills or mountains.
• Ridge refers to the long, narrow upper edge, angle, or crest of something, as a hill
• Ridges inside the fingerprint are frictional ridges, and have a distinct contour.
• These ridges appear in individual detail.
• Ridge details are formed before birth.
• Ridge details stay the same through life except for growth/scarring.

Ducts

• Ducts in the tips of your fingers are responsible for lines which turn and twist.
• Each line has sweat glands. Ridges are then produced by oils and moisture.
• Ducts are pockets carrying oils and sweat through holes.

Ridge Destruction

• Creases are white lines that look like scars (burns/blisters).
• Creases are impermanent and won't show any puckering.
• Skin conditions such as warts and blisters do not have permanent effect.
• Individual characteristics revert back once temporary conditions get corrected.

Fingerprint Principles

• Individuality
• Permanency
• Infallibility

Individuality

• Ridge details in a single fingerprint is not duplicated in any other finger.
• Fingerprint is the most positive means of identification.
• The intricate pattern of the fingers are permanent, individual and never undergo natural change.
• These only change in the size of the pattern during a life time.

Permanency

• Fingerprints do not change in its ridge characteristics of fingerprint pattern through life of the individual.
• Patterns/designs/formations appear on palms/soles 3-4 months before birth.
• Fingerprints remain unchanged until decomposition.

John Dillinger

• John Dillinger tried to erase fingerprints by burning; however the ridges restored.
• Acid temporally destroyed the epidermis.
• Ridge characteristics are basic for identity.
• Fingerprints will remain changed as long as bulbs dermis are not destroyed completely

Locard and Winskowski

• Locard and Winskowski experimentally burned their fingerprints using boiling water, hot oil, and metals. After healing of the epidermis, the original patterns reappeared.
• Robert James Pitts gained fame as the man without fingerprints, and was identified by joints.

Infallibility

• Fingerprints are absolute and cannot be faked.
• Fingerprints offer infallible means of personal identification.
• Fingerprints have supplanted methods of identification.
• Personal characteristics change, but fingerprints do not.

Forging Fingerprints

• There is controversy regarding forging.
• Making a simulated or perfect replica of the fingers.
• There is no record of successfully forging fingerprints.
• Modern equipment will always fail to forge fingerprints

Reason Why Fingerprints are Infallible Means of Personal Identification

• Fingerprints form about 3 to 4 months of life and remain unchanged until decomposition.
• Papillary ridges contains peculiar characteristics upon which someone can always be identified.
• Law enforcement/agencies accept fingerprint identification as means of absolute identification
• Court had taken cognizance of fingerprinting importance for identification.

Fingerprints Tell Their Own Story

• It shows the owner thief, which is in accordance to recipes loiter, meaning that it will speak for itself.

Number of Ridge Characteristics for Absolute Identification

• Experts differ on number of ridge characteristics, as England min is 16 while USA is 12.
• France's criminalist Dr. Edmond Locard set lower number guidelines.
  • Clearness of pattern, rarity of type, presence of core/delta, identify ridge width, direction, and furrow.

Ridge Destruction

• Temporary situations include: Work and disease & Warts, Creases and Ulcers.
• Permanent issues include: Burns and Scars.

Skin Surfaces Involved in the Formation of Fingerprints

• Epidermis - outer portion of the skin.
• Dermis - inner structure of the skin.

Congenital Abnormalities of Fingers

• Polydactylism - appearance of extra fingers as anatomically known.
• Macro Dactyl- It is the enlargement of finger or toes.
• Syndactyl - has two fingers or toes joined together to congenital abnormalities.
• Ortho Dactyl - fingers or toes which cannot be flexed because of symphalangy.
• Ecto Dactyl - it is a congenital absence of one or more digits of finger.
• Ankylosis - is a condition in which the fingers or joints cannot be bent.

Fingerprinting

• A person under legal arrest can be forced to be fingerprinted.
• Refusal to be fingerprinted may lead to prosecution based on disobedience to agents of article 151 of the RPC.

Brief History of Fingerprint Identification

• Alphonse Bertillion
  • Devised Anthropometry, the first method.
• The Chinese
  • They first used fingerprints as a form of authentication in their documents.
• Nehemiah Grew
  • The first person to publish a study describing ridges and pores of the hand/feet..
• Marcelo Malpighi
  • Discovered dermis and epidermis and became known as Grandfather of Fingerprint.
• Johannes Purkenjie
  • Stated certain rules for classification, identified nine types of pattern although never associated to identification, and became Father of Dactyloscopy.
• Sir Francis Galton
  • Published study on classification, said being alike was 1:65,000,000,000.
  • Sir Francis Galton published study on classification and he assigned the patterns in to three: Arches, Loops and Whorls.
• William Herschel
  • The first to advocate the use of fingerprints as substitute for signature.
• Juan Vucetich
  • A Spanish counterpart of Henry who developed his own system of classification in Argentina.

USA Fingerprinting timeline

• Gilbert Thompson adopted first individual use of fingerprint in 1882 to prevent pay order tampering.
• Mary K. Holand was the first American instructor.
• People vs. Jennings happened in 1911 and was the first conviction based on fingerprint.

Philippines Fingerprinting Timeline

• In 1900, Mr. Jones first taught fingerprints in the Philippine Constabulary.
• In 1918, Bureau of Prisons records show that CARPETAS already bore fingerprints.
• Under USA occupation, Lt. Asa N. Darby managed a model incomplete fingerprint file for commonwealth.
• In 1937, Mr. Generoso Reyes was the first Filipino fingerprint technician.
• Captain Thomas Dugan of New York City.
• Mr. Flaviano C. Guerrero of the FBI gave the first examination in fingerprints.
• In 1933 the Court handed fingerprint convictions in People vs. Medina.
• It accepted ten points or identical ridge characteristics.
• The Philippine's Plaridel Educational Institution first offered fingerprint as a subject.
• Isabela Bernales was the first Filipina Fingerprint Technician.
• People of the Philippines vs. Medina was Jurisprudence.