What is fingerprint used by the police and detectives and how effective is it in tracking criminals?

Answer 1

The AFIS (automated fingerprint identification system) is very effective IF there are matching fingerprints in the database. [also Interpol uses prints for global tracking]

A criminal justice fingerprint identification system provides the ability to scan a ten print card (arrest card or otherwise) and capture the fingerprint images from the card (or from a live finger scan device). Textual data is keyed as a text entry process. The purpose of entering the ten fingers and other data to the system is to determine if the person represented by the fingerprints has had prior contact with the criminal justice fingerprint identification system.

If there is no fingerprint match, the record, based on type, can be automatically added to the database. That record will then be available within the database for any future ten print or latent search.

Answer 2

What is fingerprint as it is used by the police and detectives?

A fingerprint is a pictographic representation of the serration pattern of the ridges of the skin of a fingertip, the other side from the nail. Fingerprints can be recorded as picture files by police in any of a number of databases, including AFIS, Interpol (already mentioned), and several US federal government databases including FBI. When a fingerprint is lifted from a crime scene, it is cross referenced with the database. The stock of data is so large it could take days for a match.

How effective is it in tracking criminals?
Non-existant. Not only does fingerprinting not do the tracking itself, but it does not in any way contribute to tracking criminals, because the scientific process of fingerprint analysis takes too long for the instantaneous results required for a tracker to use with any accuracy. Fingerprints are primarily a tool for purposes of proof and verification after the fact, but this is a changing world and verifaction of those little ridges are advancing faster than they ever have.

The victims of the 9/11 at ground zero were identified by fingerprint, and in many cases only 2 or 3 points were available for comparison, but even then the accuracy is 1 in a trillion chance of fault.

The error specs mentioned by garypopkin are correct as a matter of science, but since the chance of error is 1 in a trillion (with a partial print) or better, or when print comparisons are done on far less (which would never hold up in court, but it is done to provide probable cause for police investigations) then those errors would come into play. Otherwise its almost perfectly accurate.

Answer 3

No statistical studies have been done on the accuracy of fingerprint matching. Fingerprint matching, as with any kind of test, suffers from two types of error.

The first type, called Type A error, would occur if the fingerprints at the crime scene are from the same person as your suspect, but you DO NOT RECOGNIZE THE FINGERPRINTS AS MATCHING.

The other type, called Type B error, would occur if the fingerprints at the crime scene are NOT from the same person as your suspect, but you say that THE FINGERPRINTS MATCH.

As you increase the sensitivity of the test to reduce the Type A error, you increase the chances of making a Type B error (a false alarm or a false positive).

Answer 4

THE SYSTEM IS CALLED "AFIS" FOR AUTOMATED FINGERPRINT IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM. THE SYSTEM IS HIGHLY RELIABLE ALTHOUGH A HUMAN NEEDS TO DO THE FINAL COMPARISONS... THE SYSTEM IS EXTREMELY EFFECTIVE IN FINDING SIMILAR PRINTS FROM THE REQUESTED PRINT BUT IT CANNOT FIND A MATCH ON ITS OWN... IT IS ILLEGAL IN MANY COUNTRIES TO BASE SOLELY ON AFIS... YOU NEED A HUMAN AND IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS PROCESS...

Answer 5

Criminal Records Search Database : http://InfoSearchDetective.com/Official