Fingerprinting

history of fingerprinting:
The first use of the fingerprints as useful record keeping was in India by Sir William Hershel. In 1856, William used fingerprints on contracts as personal identification. He believed that this method was more binding due to the fact that this was personal contact on record. This became a trend for him and after a while found that the fingerprints were actually unique and a very good source of identification.

Sir Francis Galton made the first fingerprinting classification system in his book Fingerprints, in 1888. In his book, he concluded that fingerprints could actually be a use of personal identification.

By 1946, the FBI maintained about 100 million fingerprint cards which were later split into either civil or criminal files. These cards can be sorted through with the AFIS technology and are used to identify and catch criminals.

procedures for lifting prints:

Gather a zephyr brush, graphite powder, magnifying glass, and tape. Dip the zephyr brush into the beaker of graphite powder and get rid of excess on the brush. Brush the powder over the object. Find a print with magnifying glass. Place tape over the print and put it on a piece of paper.

ways to take prints:

non absorbing surfaces: when you are taking fingerprints from non absorbing surfaces like glass and tile, you can use powders and super glue to reveal the print and then make a copy of it.

porous surfaces: for developing a print on porous surfaces such as those on some papers, you can heat the paper to get a fluorescent glow of the print.

hard surfaces: to develop a print that is left on a hard surface like a murder weapon, tools, or any hard material touches by the criminal in a hurry, you can put an ultraviolet light to magnify the pattern.

smooth surfaces: smooth surfaces, such as glass, can be developed through the use of powder to reveal it.

types of prints:

Latent fingerprints: latent fingerprints can be left on any surface at a crime scene. These fingerprints are hard to see but can be revealed by using certain types of powders and lights.

Plastic fingerprints: plastic fingerprints can be found on plastic of other smooth surfaces and can be easily seen by the naked eye. They are produced by leaving ridges as the finger touches the surface.

Patent fingerprints: patent fingerprints are made when foreign materials such as ink, dirt, and blood are transferred from the finger to a surface. These prints are visible to the naked eye and are usually have their picture taken.