Crime Scene Processing for Fingerprints

• Large items that cannot be transported to the laboratory

must be processed at the scene.
• Start examination with the area of most importance, i.e.,
point of entry, area of struggle, etc.
• Mark and identify fingerprint lifts.
• Fingerprint must be photographed after development
(scene or lab)
 Locating Fingerprints
• Laser light- perspiration contains components that
fluoresce
• Emit visible light when exposed to light of a shorter
wavelength
• Fingerprints could be treated with chemicals that
fluoresce no longer requiring laser

• Alternative light sources- similar to laser technique

Visualization will occur via
• Reflected light (light powders)
• Absorbed light (dark powders)
• Luminescence (fluorescent powders).
• Bichromatic Powder--aluminum powder mixed with
black powder to achieve visualization on both light
and dark surfaces.
Magnetic or Magna Powders
Another type of powder, called magnetic
or magna powder, allows for application
with a magnetized rod that has no
bristles. This type of powder can be light,
dark, or fluorescent and utilizes the
ferromagnetic properties of iron powder
mixed with pigment powders.
The magnetized applicator (magna brush)
is dipped into the powder, picking up a
ball of the iron and particle mixture,
essentially forming its own brush. This
ball serves as an effective carrier for Magnetic applicator
pigment particles and is passed back and
forth over the substrate to develop latent
impressions.
 DISADVANTAGES

•Causes less damage to fragile latent prints

•Not suitable for steel or nickel
•Magnetized particles may cling to the substrate and
resist removal.
 Physical Development: Dusting

 Apply powder to latent print or area.

 Powder adheres to print.

Brush and Powder

 Developing Latent Prints
• Fingerprint Powders
• When applied to a nonporous
surface with a camel hair or
fiberglass brush readily adhere to
the perspiration residues or
deposits of body oils left on
surface
• Powders come in different colors
and compositions
 Florescent Powders
• For multi coloured surfaces e.g. soft drink cans.
• Fluoresce under UV light
Processing and Development of Latent fingerprints

Carbon filament brush

Processing and Development of Latent fingerprints

Fiber glass brush with LED

Processing and Development of Latent fingerprints

Development of fingerprints by White powder

Processing and Development of Latent fingerprints

Dusting white powder on transparent surface

Processing and Development of Latent fingerprints

Development of fingerprint on a revolvler

Processing and Development of Latent fingerprints

Development of fingerprint on the exterior of a car

15
16
Processing and Development of Latent fingerprints

Development of fingerprint by using black powder

Processing and Development of Latent fingerprints

Fingerprint developed on thermo-pore

Processing and Development of Latent fingerprints

Fingerprint developed on a CD
Processing and Development of Latent fingerprints

Developed fingerprint with a scale

Preservation of Developed Prints

• Photographs
• Special camera’s made just for fingerprints
• Or normal digital camera with zoom
• If object is small/portable it will be transferred to
lab.
• If print is on large object the print is “lifted” with
an adhesive such as tape
Chemical Development:

1. Silver Nitrate
• No longer used (messy, not sensitive)
• Silver reacts with Cl - ions in print
 Chemical Development:

2 Iodine Fuming

 Iodine sublimes (solid → gas)

 Iodine reacts with lipid
components; becomes trapped
in the print.
Chemical Development:

3. Ninhydrin
• Reacts with amino acids; purple color
• Painted or sprayed on area
• Heated to react
Chemical Development:

Ninhydrin and super glue prints can be further

processed:
 Dusted
 Chemically treated to fluoresce
(using laser or alternative light)
Chemical Development:

4. Super glue fuming

 Fumes with heat or base (NaOH)
 Fumed in cabinets
 Off-white print
 Collection of prints:

Tape lift:
• Tape placed over developed print
• Tape then placed on white card.
Collection of prints:

Sometimes a photograph will be the only

permanent record.
FINGERPRINTS
ANALYSES
How are fingerprints analyzed?

LATENT PRINT INKED PRINT

What is AFIS?
• Automated Fingerprint
Identification System
(AFIS) is a computerized database of
fingerprints
from known individuals and
unknown latent fingerprints from
crime scenes.

• 6,000,000 matches per second is now

possible with AFIS system.

Automated Fingerprint Identification System

How does AFIS work to solve
crimes?
• CSI / Police collect a suspicious fingerprint
as
evidence of a crime and submit it to the Latent
Print Section of a Forensic Science Laboratory.

• If it is suitable for comparison, the latent

print
is compared to the ten print cards in the case.

• If the evidence fingerprint does not

match
those on the ten print cards and is of sufficient
quality, it can be entered into AFIS, where it
is compared with all the ten print cards in
the database .
How does AFIS work to solve
crimes?
• The AFIS computer generates a list of “candidates”
whose known fingerprints bear similarities to the
evidence fingerprint being searched. The forensic
scientist evaluates the AFIS candidate list and compares
these prints to determine if they match.
• The forensic scientist then makes a direct comparison
between the actual evidence fingerprint and the ten-
print card bearing the most similarities to determine if
they match.
• If they match, the suspect is identified. This is considered
an AFIS “HIT”.
• If “NO HIT” is made, the evidence fingerprint entered
into AFIS’s latent print database and compared against
other unsolved cases. Since these databases are
constantly being compared, AFIS can solve a crime which
occurred years ago.
QUESTIONS?
Lip prints