Fingerprinting’s Changing Impact on Criminology
 
 

 The discovery that each individual has a unique set of fingerprints and the evolution of technology changed the entire criminal justice system by providing a proof positive means of identification.
 

WHAT ARE FINGERPRINTS AND WHY ARE THEY NEEDED?
 Before fingerprints were used as evidence, there was no proof positive way to identify and convict criminals. In the late 1800’s the discovery that every person had a unique set of fingerprints provided a major breakthrough in the criminal justice system. Fingerprinting was accepted world wide as a method of criminal investigation when Scotland Yard installed the first fingerprinting bureau in 1901. Because of their accuracy, fingerprints were introduced as evidence in the court of law.

 Fingerprints are made up of ridges and dips in the skin of the fingertip that form a pattern. These patterns are categorized into three basic groups, the loop, whorl, and arch. Prints are made up of a basic pattern with variations that make them unique to every individual.
 

"Fingerprints started out as ways to identify criminals, not in terms of evidence in court, but to tell Tom from Joe. When scientists found out that every person’s fingerprints were different, even identical twins, then prints became crime scene evidence."
      -Tom Burr, Fingerprint Analyst-
 
 

BEGINNING TECHNOLOGY
 The first method of lifting fingerprints—one that is still used today--was with powders. It is one of the most accurate and efficient lifting techniques.  Powders are made up of resinous polymers that adhere to the oils left behind from a person’s hand. Dark powders are used on light surfaces, and white and gray powders are used on dark surfaces.

 Chemicals provide another lifting method. Ninhydrins are used to enhance prints on porous surfaces, such as paper. The third major lifting technique used is the super glue chamber. Objects removed from crime scenes are placed in the chamber so that glue adheres to the fingerprints making the prints rough and visible. Cameras are used to take photos of fingerprints and enlarge them. When taking prints from people, law enforcers use ink and rollers to lift the prints and store them on cards.

NEW TECHNOLOGY
 There have been many new advances in fingerprinting technology. One example is the laser, which can lift prints from a larger variety of surfaces. Lasers use a light source that projects onto the print and makes it visible. Another new addition is the computer. It electronically scans fingerprints, a process that is quicker, more accurate, and less messy than the old ink and roller. Also, now that prints can be scanned onto computers, statewide and regional files have been formed, making is easier to trade criminal information. The FBI has also created their own national computer file that can be used in criminal investigations. Another breakthrough was the Squad Car Identification System. This tool takes fingerprints and mug shots that are used for quick identity/warrant checks by immediate relay to automated identifications systems. Through this law enforcement professionals can make immediate checks that are fast and accurate, helping them to better enforce the laws.

 "In the months that followed the installment of the live-scan fingerprinting system Anoka County improved it’s fingerprinting efficiency and dramatically reduced the number of fingerprint cards that were rejected by Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension from 17 percent to less than 1 percent."   -Digital Biometrics, Inc.-

CASES THAT MADE A MARK
 The case of Will and William West in 1903 was the first case that demonstrated how important fingerprinting could be for identification. These two criminals lived in different counties of Kansas, had different measurements, were not related, but they looked identical. Not until the police had taken their prints were they convinced that the Wests were two different people.
 The case of the Question-mark Burglar took place in Northern California. It lasted over ten years, amounting to thousands of dollars in stolen goods. The burglar was finally caught in 1921 because of his odd fingerprints. The question mark pattern on his prints linked him to over four hundred robberies.
 One of the first cases in which fingerprinting was used to convict a person was the murder of two boys that took place in Texas in 1897. A neighbor was accused of committing the crime, but the bloody prints found at the crime scene matched those of the boys’ mother. These fingerprints saved an innocent man from being convicted.

WHAT’S IN THE FUTURE?
 Fingerprints are now becoming recognized as forms of security and safety. Parents now have the option of fingerprinting their children in case of abduction. Banks are beginning to use a new thumbprint signature program to help identify the check holder. There has also been recent controversy over fingerprinting all citizens at birth. Some people feel it would benefit society but others feel that it is a threat to privacy.
 

"The new thumbprint signature program that many banks are beginning to use has caused 50 percent reduction of all fraud losses from cashed checks. Persons without accounts at our bank are required to place the right thumbprint on the check so in case of fraud we are able to trace them."    -Jocida Freeman, Riverside Bank-
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 Bibliography

Primary Sources:
 

Interviews-

Burr, Thomas. Forensic Scientist, fingerprinting specialist.

Digital Biometrics. A company involved in the making and use of fingerprinting technologies.

Freeman, Jocida. Administrative assistant at Riverside Bank, MPLS.

Hanly, Bruce, Criminal Lawyer

Hanson, Randy. Fingerprinting Specialist.

Wilkinson, Ken. Former Sheriff of Anoka County.

Books-

Conners, Edward. Convicted by Juries, Exonerated by Science: Case Studies in the Use of DNA Evidence to Establish Innocence After Trial. U.S. Department of Justice, June 1996.

Websites-

FBI Identification Division. FBI Home Page. 1-20-99 <http:www.fbi.gov/kids./finger.finger.htm.>(2-8-99)

Secondary Sources:

Block, Eugene. Fingerprinting (Magic Weapon Against Crime.) New York: Van Flees Press, 1969.

Chadbourn, John. Evidence In Trials In Common Law. Massachusetts: Little Brown and Company, 1979.

Ficher, Barry. Techniques of Crime Scene Investigation. London: CPC press, 1995.

Zonderman, John. Beyond the Crime Lab, The New Science of Investigation. New York: Oxford University Press, 1990.
 
 

*This project was made possible with the help and hard work of Jessie Chrastil, Carolyn Wollan, and Anne Dana.