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Major Crimes: Latent Print Computer Searching

NCJ Number
155224
Journal
Journal of Forensic Identification Volume: 45 Issue: 3 Dated: (May/June 1995) Pages: 268-274
Author(s)
R F Hall
Date Published
1995
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This article reports on the methodology and results of attempts to match latent fingerprints from major robbery and rape crimes to some 350,000 10-print standards in the Printrak Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) of the Identification Section of the Metro-Dade Police Department (Florida).
Abstract
Veteran latent print examiners volunteered to work overtime to enter the latent prints and review the resulting candidates generated by the computer searches. The project began in November 1992 and continued through April 1993. During this period, 443 latent fingerprints were searched and 63 were identified. In addition to the number of identifications, several statistical analyses were conducted to determine whether any other information came from the project. Some general observations were made regarding pattern types, the origin of latent prints, the candidate position of hit, the age of respondent hit, and the number of hits according to minutiae entered. Regarding pattern types identified, 51 percent identified loops, 32 percent identified whorls, and 17 percent identified arches. An analysis of the origin of latent prints showed that thumbs, index, and middle fingers were the prevalent fingers identified at crime scenes. The entry of 10 minutiae produced the largest number of hits, with 75 percent occurring when 10 to 20 minutiae were entered. 4 figures