PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION - Friction skin patterns/designs/

TECHNIQUES (DACTYLOSCOPY) formations appear on the fingertips,

palms of the hands and soles of the
LESSON 1 feet five (5) months before birth this
What is Fingerprint? remained unchanged during the life
As an IMPRESSION: of individual until decomposition sets
- It is the reproduction of on some in after DEATH.
smooth surfaces of the pattern or
design formed by the ridges on the 3. INFALLIBILITY:
inside of the end joint of the fingers - That fingerprint is absolute and
or thumb, through the medium of ink cannot be forged.
or any coloring substance capable of - FINGERPRINTS offer an
producing visibility. INFALLIBLE (unerring) means of
personal identification. This is an
As a SCIENCE: essential explanation for their having
- It is the identification of person by supplanted other methods of
means of the ridges appearing on establishing identity of criminals
the fingers, on the palms and on the reluctant to admit previous arrests.
soles of the feet. is the most positive Other personal characteristics
means of personal identification change but fingerprints do not.

PRINCIPLES OF FINGERPRINT Ridge Destruction:

1. INDIVIDUALITY 1. Doing manual work - temporary
- That the complex of the ridge details 2. Diseased person – temporary
in a single fingerprint or even part 3. Warts - temporary
one is not duplicated in any other 4. Creases – Folding of a skin temporary
finger. 5. Ulcers – temporary
- is the most positive means of 6. Burn – totally destroyed the ridges (scar)
personal identification. It has been 7. Scars – deep wound permanent scars
found out that the intricate pattern on
the fingers are permanent, individual Latent Prints
and never undergo a natural - Means something hidden or
change, except in the size of the concealed
pattern during the lifetime of - Markings left by the oily matters or
individual perspiration
- Exuded from the fingertips or palms
2. PERMANENCY upon any substances which the
- That fingerprints do not change in its finger/palms may have touched.
ridge characteristics of fingerprint
pattern throughout or life time of an Latent print means
individual and they persist after - Fingerprints found at the crime
DEATH until the skin is scene, known as chance
decomposed. impressions and means something
hidden or concealed.
 - are those markings usually rather
indistinct, left by the oily matters or
perspiration exuded from the
fingertips or palms upon any
substances which the fingers/ palms
may have touched.

CAUSES OF MARKINGS
1. Ridges or the raised strip of the skin.
2. Oily or greasy hands.
3. Sweat or perspiration.

WHAT IS THE COMPOSITION OF

THE SWEAT?
1. 98.5% to 99.5% is water
2. 5% to 1.5% solid matter= 1/3 salt, 2/3
urea, volatile fatty acids,
albumin acids, etc.

THE COMPOSITION OF SWEAT IS NOT

CONSTANT.
It is influenced by:
1. Climate
2. Nutrition or food that the subject
eats.
3. Impurities on the skin surface

LESSON 2
TWO TYPES FINGER IMPRESSIONS
1. Rolled Impression - requires
that the thumb be rolled towards
and fingers away from the center of
the subject's body.

2. Plain Impression - requires

that the fingers be taken or printed
simultaneously, then the thumb
without rolling.
EQUIPMENT NEEDED IN TAKING
FINGERPRINT IMPRESSIONS
1. Fingerprint roller (6"long, 2" inches
diameter)
2. Fingerprint ink
3. Card holder
4. Glass slab or inking plate (1/2
cm x 6 x 14")
5. Cleaning materials (alcohol,
petroleum, cloth, cream, oil etc,)

PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED BY THE

FINGERPRINT OPERATOR:
1. When the fingers have fresh cut, wound
IMPORTANT POINTS TO BE
or bandage
CONSIDERED IN TAKING LEGIBLE
which will prevent the recording:
FINGERPRINTS
SOLUTION:
1. Cleanliness of equipment.
a) Note on the corresponding space on the
2. The right kind and correct amount of ink.
card.
3. Proper distribution of ink on the glass
b) If it is possible use a magnifying glass
slab or inking plate.
and examine the ridges directly on the
4. The distance of the subject from the
fingers and then record on the
inking plate on the fingerprint card.
corresponding space on the card the pattern
5. The advice of the operator to the subject
interpretation, a ridge counting and ridge
to relax and never to aid the operation.
tracing .
6. The pressure exerted must be slight and
even the rolling be continuous movement
including the lifting.
7. The nail of the fingers should be at right
angle to the glass slab or to the card before
starting the rolling, always roll the fingers
until the other side of the nails is reached.
8. The inking and printing must always
reached below the first joint of the fingers.
9. The thumb should be rolled towards the
subjects body all other fingers away from
the subjects body.
10. While rolling the fingers, the subjects 2. When the hands are perspiring
hand should be held/controlled properly to excessively:
prevent twisting and slipping of the fingers. SOLUTION:
11. Proper alignment. Wipe the fingers with cloth immediately
before inking. If the perspiration cannot be
controlled by wiping with cloth, wipe the
fingers with alcohol.
3. When the fingers are very dry like the
fingers of some brick layers and carpenters:
SOLUTION: Rub the fingers with oil or
cream or lotion.
4. When the ridges are very fine like the
ridges of the fingers of children:
SOLUTION: Use a very little amount of ink
or spread a very thin coating of ink on the
glass slab.
5. When one or more of the fingers are
lacking or missing:
SOLUTION: Record the present fingers and
place a notation on the corresponding
space on the card.
Example: Missing at birth; and amputated at
the first joint.
6. When the fingers are band, broken, or
crippled:
SOLUTION: Use of the method in taking the
print of the dead.
7. When the subject has more than ten (10)
fingers all fully formed:
SOLUTION: The thumbs and the next four
fingers, to them should be printed and any
fingers left over should be printed on the
other side of the card with a notation made
to the effect that they are “extra fingers”.
8. Should any extra finger appear any
where between or any of the
fingers.
SOLUTION: Record the print of the one fully
formed, normal fingers in the proper
sequences. Then record the extra digits on
the back of the card with a notation as to
where it appears.
9. In case of a split thumb, a thumb having
two nails or when the subject has two or
more fingers, webbed or grown together,
making it impossible to roll such fingers in
its side.
SOLUTION: Print it the usual manner just
like any normal thumb and make
a notation at the back of the card.
What is Dactyloscopy?
- It refers to the practical application of
fingerprints (the identification,
comparison and classification of
fingerprint patterns)
- Origin: The word Dactyloscopy was
derived from two Greek words:
Dactyl which means a “finger” and
“skopien” meaning “to study” or “to
examine”.
Chiroscopy
- It came from the Greek word Cheir
which means hand. It is a branch of
science which deals with the study
of the prints of the palm of the hand.
Poroscopy
- It came from the Greek word Poros
which means pores or holes. It is the
scientific study of small openings
found on the surface of the skin
commonly called pores.
IMPORTANCE OR VALUE OF
FINGERPRINTS?
1. Prevent impersonation (changing
personal data)
2. Speedy identification of wrongdoer
(falsification, forgery)
3. Serve to give evidence (identification of
criminals)
4. Helps to identify victims of disasters,
calamities, floods, etc.
5. Identifies bodies whose cadaver are
beyond recognition.
6. Aids judiciary in penal treatment
(fingerprinting of prisoners)
7. Prevent criminal substitution of the newly
born.
LESSON 3
Brief History of Fingerprint Identification
- Pre-historic picture writing of a hand
with ridge patterns was discovered
in Nova Scotia Canada.
- Evidence of fingerprints in early
paintings & rock carvings made by
prehistoric humans.
In ancient China
- thumb prints were found on clay
seals.
In 14th century Persia
- various official government papers
had fingerprints (impressions), and
one government official, a doctor,
observed that no two fingerprints
were exactly alike.
In Peru
- aerial photographs have exposed a
huge ancient drawing which can only
be accurately viewed from the air. I
have exhibited one of these photos
to the International Association for
Identification and suggested it as a
"possible" fingerprint pattern.
In ancient City of Babylon, Mesopotamia
- fingerprints were used on clay
tablets for business transactions.
- Ancient Babylonian clay tablet (c.
2500 BC) which shows how to read
Babylonian numbers in cuneiform
tablets
An old Babylonian tablet (1900 - 1600
BC)
 ● In 1858, Sir William Hershel, Chief
Administrative Office, Bengal India,
● In 1686, Marcello Malpighi, a first used fingerprints on native
professor of anatomy at the contracts.
University of Bologna, noted in his
treatises; ridges, spirals and loops in
fingerprints. He made no mention of
their value as a tool for individual
identification. A layer of skin was
named after him; "Malpighi" layer,
which is approximately 1.8mm thick.

● In 1880, Dr. Henry Faulds, who was

● In 1823, John Evangelist Purkinji, a
professor of anatomy at the
University of Breslau, published his
thesis discussing 9 fingerprint
patterns, but he too made no
mention of the value of fingerprints
for personal identification.
working in Tokyo, Japan, published
an article in the Scientific Journal,
"Nautre" (nature). He discussed
fingerprints as a means of personal
identification, and the use of printers
ink as a method for obtaining such
fingerprints. He is also credited with
the first fingerprint identification of a
greasy fingerprint left on an alcohol
bottle.
● In 1882, Gilbert Thompson of the
U.S. Geological Survey in New
Mexico, used his own thumb print on
a document to prevent forgery. This
Is the first known use offingerprints
in the United States. (Click the
image below to see a larger image
of an 1882 receipt issued by Gilbert
Thompson to "Lying Bob" in the
amount of 75 dollars.)

1882 - Bertillon
- Alphonse Bertillon, a Clerk in the
Prefecture of Police of Paris, France,
devised a system of classification,
● In Mark Twain's book, "Life on the
known as Anthropometry or the
Mississippi", a murderer was
Bertillon System, using
identified by the use of fingerprint
measurements of parts of the body.
identification. In a later book by Mark
Bertillon's system included
Twain, "Pudd'n Head Wilson", there
measurements such as head length,
was a dramatic court trial on
head width, length of the middle
fingerprint identification. A more
finger, length of the left foot; and
recent movie was made from this
length of the forearm from the elbow
book.
to the tip of the middle finger.
- In 1888 Bertillon was made Chief of
the newly created Department of
Judicial Identity where he used
anthropometry as the main means of
 identification. He later introduced identified. These same
Fingerprints but relegated them to a characteristics (minutia) are
secondary role in the category of basically still in use today, and are
special marks. often referred to as Galton's Details.

● 1903, when a man named Will West

was sentenced to the U.S.
Penitentiary at Leavenworth,
Kansas. You see there was already
a prisoner at the penitentiary at the
time, whose Bertillon measurements
were nearly exact, and his name
was William West. Upon an
investigation, there were indeed two
men. They looked exactly alike, but
were allegedly not related. Their
names were Will and William West
respectively. Their Bertillon ● In 1891, Juan Vucetich, an Argentine
measurements were close enough Police Official, began the first
to identify them as the same person. fingerprint files based on Galton
However, a fingerprint comparison pattern types. At first, Vucetich
quickly and correctly identified them included the Bertillon system with
as two different people. the files. In 1892, he made the first
criminal fingerprint identification. He
Will and William WEST was able to identify a woman by the
name of Rojas, who had murdered
her two sons, and cut her own throat
in an attempt to place blame on
another.

● During the 1880's, Sir Francis

Galton, a British anthropologist and
a cousin of Charles Darwin, began
his observations of fingerprints as a
means of identification. In 1892, he
published his book, "Fingerprints",
establishing the individuality and
permanence of fingerprints. The
book included the first classification
system for fingerprints.

Galton’s Details (Minutia) ● Introduction of fingerprints for

- Galton identified the characteristics criminal identification in England and
by which fingerprints can be Wales in 1901, using Galton's
 observations and revised by Sir
Edward Richard Henry. Thus began
the Henry Classification System,
used even today in all English
speaking countries.
- saw the use of fingerprints for the
U.S. Army. Two years later the U.S.
Navy, and was joined the next year
by the Marine Corp

1907
- U.S. Navy begins using fingerprints.
- U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau
1901 - Henry of Criminal Identification moves to
- The Fingerprint Branch at New Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary
Scotland Yard (London Metropolitan where it is staffed at least partially by
Police) was created in July 1901 inmates.
using the Henry System of
Classification.

1902
- First systematic use of fingerprints in
the U.S. with the New York Civil
Service Commission for testing. Dr.
Henry P. DeForrest, a pioneer in
U.S. fingerprinting in 1902.
1908
1903 - U.S. Marine Corps begins using
- In 1903, the New York State Prison fingerprints
system began the first systematic
use of fingerprints in U.S. for
criminals.

1915
- Inspector Harry H. Caldwell of the
1905 Oakland, California Police
 Department's Bureau of etc.) used to "identify" criminals
Identification wrote numerous letters before the adoption of fingerprints.
to "Criminal Identification Operators"
in August 1915, asking them to meet 1924
in Oakland for the purpose of
forming an organization to further
the aims of the identification
profession. In October 1915, a group
of twenty-two identification
personnel met and initiated the
"International Association for
Criminal Identification" In 1918, the
organization was renamed the
International Association for
- In 1924, an act of congress
Identification (IAI) due to the volume
established the Identification
of non- criminal identification work
Division of the FBI. The IACP's
performed by members. Sir Francis
National Bureau of Criminal
Galton's right index finger appears in
Identification and the US Justice
the IAI logo. The IAI's official
Department's Bureau of Criminal
publication is the Journal of Forensic
Identification consolidated to form
Identification.
the nucleus of the FBI fingerprint
files.
1918
1974

- Edmond Locard wrote that if 12 - The fingerprint society in 1977.

points (Galton's Details) were the
same between two fingerprints, it
would suffice as a positive
identification. Locard's 12 points
seems to have been based on an
unscientific "improvement" over the
eleven anthropometric
measurements (arm length, height,
F.F.S. used behind a fingerprint
expert's name indicates they are
recognized as a Fellow of the
Fingerprint Society. The Society
hosts annual educational
conferences with speakers and
delegates attending from many
countries
1977

- Since 1977, the IAI’s Latent Print

Certification Board has proficiency
tested thousands of applicants, and Skin Surfaces Involved in the
periodically proficiency tests all IAI Formation:
Certified Latent Print Examiners Epidermis
(CLPEs). IAI CLPE status is - outer portion of the skin
considered by many identification
professionals to be a measurement Dermis
of excellence. - inner structure of the skin

2007 Polydactylism
- appearance of extra fingers as
anatomically known.

Macro dactyl
- It is the enlargement of finger or toes

Syndactyl / Syndactylism
- Having two or more fingers or toes
joined together, congenital
- The largest AFIS repository in abnormality.
America is operated by the
Department of Homeland Security's Ortho dactyl
US Visit Program, containing over - The fingers or toes cannot be flexed,
74 million persons' fingerprints, ordinarily as a result of
primarily in the form of two-finger symphalangy.
records.
Ecto dactyl
- The congenital absence od one or
more digits of

Ankylosis
 - A bone condition in which the fingers
joints cannot be bent.
Ridge Formation
Recurving ridge
- a kind of ridge that curves back in
the direction from which it started. It
resembles like a hair pin. Commonly
called looping ridge, rounded and
free of any appendage.
Converging ridge
- ridge formation whose closed end is
angular and as a point of
convergence usually pointed
Appendage
- is a short ridge at the top of the
summit of a recurving ridge usually
at right angle.
Diverging ridge
- are two ridges flowing side by side,
one ridge going one way and the
other ridge going another way.
Bifurcating ridge
- is a single ridge which splits into two
ridges forming a shape structure.
Type lines
- are the basic boundaries of
fingerprint pattern. They are formed
by two ridges running parallel, then
diverge or separate or tend to
surround the pattern area.
Pattern Area
- is the part of fingerprint which lies
within the pattern surrounded by the
type lines. Ridges found inside this
area are subject to correct pattern
interpretation.
Dot or series of dots
- fragmentary ridges formed like a dot
or dots.
ridge hook
- ridge that divides to form two ridges
which is shorter in length than the
main ridge.
series of short ridges
- fragmentary ridges formed by short
or series of short ridges.
ridge ending
- termination or ending of ridge or
ridges.
ridge bridge (crossover)
 - connecting ridge between two
ridges.

incipient ridge
- a ridge which madly formed, thin
short or broken which appear or
appears in the depressions between
two well formed ridges.

Island ridges
- it is a single ridge which bifurcates
where the bifurcating ridges
converge at a certain point to form
again into s single ridge.

Trifurcation
- the point at which one friction ridge
divides into three friction ridges.