Why Is The Fingerprints Important

For over a century fingerprints have been one of the most used tools of forensic science. Fingerprints have been used to identify criminals of small crimes

There are many reasons why fingerprinting is used as an important methods for identification (Hall, 2015). As stated by Hall (2015), “A fingerprint consists of several identifiable characteristic, such as loops, arches, whorls, islands, and bifurcations. The arrangement, frequency, and design of these features are among the many characteristics used to distinguish prints from one another” (p. 510). Everybody’s fingerprints are the same. Fingerprints are kept in Federal and state agencies of the within the law. When someone commits a crime, a forensic scientist takes fingerprints and match them through the database in computers. Since fingerprinting does not go against the Fifth Amendment, a search warrant is not required. Fingerprints can be matched with someone’s hair down the color of their eyes. Another type of type of recognition to identify someone is through blood tests, and it is used in the U.S. Benches. The individuals who has this procedure done may feel pain and get sick from the procedure.

The purpose of this experiment was to investigate a crime scene. Given an evidence bag a number of tests were performed in order to determine who the suspect was. The experiments included a simple fiber burn test, iodine fuming to develop a finger print, and thin-layer chromatography to determine ink similarities.

All over the world and as far as many people can remember, fingerprints have been used as a symbol of truth and justice in the forensics domain. The art of fingerprinting has been seen as a closure to many major crimes that have put many people in prison. However, in his article “Do Fingerprints Lie?” Michael Specter examines that fingerprinting has given rise to many questions as of the late 20th century. Fingerprints have been taken for granted, almost like money, which in this century, people believe is the best item to be handed to us. People tend to take what they hear, and just go with it without research or background knowledge. This practice has not been challenged as many concepts should. Specter brings in a solid argument with a lot of knowledge to support his claims and factual evidence to set his article with high credibility. While Specter builds a strong argument, he fails to consider how fingerprints have improved the forensic process.

However, fingerprint can be contaminated if investigators are not careful, in which could lead to false conclusion and could develop false leads. Further, professional criminals would often avoid contaminating their crime by wearing gloves to prevent leaving fingerprints. The introduction of DNA methods has helped provide viable evidence for investigators. This is because DNA can leave traces such as, saliva, hair sweat and dandruff just to name a few. The DNA testing has also been accepted by the courts due to its accuracy and value to support evidence. (Hess, Orthmann, Cho, 2013)

From the early days, with little literary reference material, to the current day, with substantially more, but still insufficient formation, the science of fingerprint identification has managed to maintain its credibility and usefulness. Although, academic institutions have yet to recognize the field as an applied science and include it in the curricula, which would provide directed research and literary reference, in libraries. Without this academic recognition, progress in the field of fingerprint is destined to be sluggish. Description of fingerprint identification as a forensic science’ or an ~app1ied science’ in no way implies that is not a reliable science.

Fingerprints are detailed, difficult to alter, and permanent over the life of a person, which makes them suitable as a long-term identifier of an individual. They also can be used to identify people who are deceased in the aftermath of a crime. The recovery of fingerprints from a scene is an important part of forensics in identifying a possible suspect. Blood is often found at various types of crime scenes, such as homicide, assault, rape, robbery and burglary. Blood type can be an identifying factor to assist investigators to narrow the search for a suspect. With DNA typing technologies, an individual bloodstain can now be used to identify an individual of a crime or a suspect. Blood spatter can also be used to identify which hand a person used during a stabbing, the direction of a shot and even the distance of the shot from the victim.

If fingerprint identification never existed, Gwinnett police would’ve caught the wrong person. Therefore, the emphasis of fingerprint over the course of history has made crime solving become more

DNA fingerprinting is important in many different fields of study today, including forensic science. One case in which DNA fingerprinting was especially important was the O.J. Simpson case. According to New York Times in 1994, if the DNA tests were done correctly they “could establish Mr. Simpson’s innocence or convince a jury that he is guilty.” Basically, testing Simpson’s DNA and comparing it to the DNA found at the crime scene could greatly sway the jury’s decision on whether Simpson was guilty or not. This case was a very famous and popular, so introducing DNA evidence in a trail like this would bring much attention to the methods of DNA testing and how accurate the results were. Before this case took place, it was thought of as a possible

The automated Fingerprint Identification System is also known as the AFIS within the law enforcement division (FBI, 2010). This system is an important element in the criminal justice system as some of its features encompass the storing of data, encoding, and fingerprint and facial comparison through graphics and other techniques. Law officials many centuries ago in the pursuit of positively identifying someone suspected of guilt have long used fingerprints techniques. Fingerprinting is also used in branches of our government, and in the Pentagon, the authentication method of fingerprints is used permit access to specified zones inside the building. Fingerprints are an effective and very precise method of identification purposes that does not pose

In Davis v. Mississippi, the Supreme Court stated that fingerprints where inherently more reliable than eyewitness identification (Gardner, 2016). Although finger prints are considered extremely reliable, steps must be taken to ensure that the fingerprint was actually left at the crime scene during the time period that the crime was committed. In order to prove a fingerprint’s validity, the prosecution must rely on both expert testimony as well as detailed, accurate, and proper chain of custody documentation. In order to prove the correct timing of the latent print, evidence can be provided through a few methods. One method is the use of an eyewitness who can testify to the defendant’s presence during the time of the crime (Gardner, 2016). Additionally, testimony proving that the surface was just cleaned or washed immediately prior to the crime is admissible (Gardner, 2016). Finally, “fairly fresh” prints at a crime scene where the defendant did not have access, or prints left in blood that could only be placed after the smear was made can be considered admissible (Gardner,

“Fingerprint recognition is one of the divorce inference using the impressions made by the minute ridge formations or patterns found on the fingertips. No two people have exactly the same arrangement of the ridge patterns, and the remaining patterns of any one individual unchanged. Fingerprints infallible provide a means of personal identification. Other personal characteristics may change, but not fingerprints”. (1)

The use of fingerprinting as a means of identification was born out of the need of law enforcement officials to have permanent records that could determine if a convict had been previously arrested or imprisoned. Before the advent of fingerprinting, law enforcement used a number of different methods to try to accomplish this. Ancient civilizations would tattoo or physically maim prisoners. In more recent times, daguerreotyping (that is, photographing) was used, but proved to be less than reliable, because people had the ability to dramatically alter their appearance (Skopitz). As a result, this method too, became obsolete with the discovery of fingerprinting, an absolutely infallible

Law enforcement and the criminal justice system depend upon technology to carry out their many demands. Many programs are created to ensure the security and effectiveness of the criminal justice system while improving the technological capacities of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. Technology has impacted the communication capabilities of specialized databases in the criminal justice system in a substantial manner. The Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) and

Every time somebody touches something, they leave behind a unique signature that forever links them to that object. This link is their fingerprints, which are unique to every person, for no two people have the same set, not even family members or identical twins. Palms and toes also leave prints behind, but these are far less commonly found during crime scene investigations. Therefore, fingerprints provide an identification process that is applicable to background checks, biometric security, mass disaster identification, and most importantly, crime scene investigations. Fingerprints are so differentiated because they are made up of distinct patterns of ridges and furrows on the fingers. The ridges are the “raised” portions of the prints, and the furrows are the “recessed” portions. This perceived uniqueness has led some people to falsely accept fingerprint analysis as absolute scientific fact. Although overall fingerprints are reliable, there are definitely situations where their accuracy can come into question.