The purposes of criminalistics are the verification of an offense, determination of what actually happened and who was involved, verification of the statements of victims and witnesses, and identification of the offender and accomplices. Methods for identification of offenders include classical fingerprinting techniques; newly developed methods for voice, speech, or dialect identification; and identification of individual handwriting and signatures. Evidence left at the scene of a crime can be crucial to the resolution of a case. Evidence may take the form of fingerprints, tire tracks, or marks left by an instrument. Any of these traces may constitute either proof or vital leads. With modern techniques such as vacuum coating and laser beams, latent fingerprints can be detected under laboratory conditions. Odontostomatology has made it possible to identify deceased victims and even offenders who leave teethmarks. Individuals can also be identified from the striations on their fingernails. Tools or weapons can often be traced on the basis of slip marks. Comparative techniques facilitate pinpointing the exact location from which metal traces, soil, or fibers originate. The newly developed misrospectrophotometer permits nondestructive analysis of colors; e.g., of textiles and ink. Scientific developments in the second half of the 20th century have greatly improved the efficiency and precision of police criminalistics. It is emphasized, however, that the technology is expensive, that it requires specially trained personnel, and that the laboratories must be integrated into the police and justice organizations for maximum effectiveness. Notes are supplied.