Abstract
People often leave a unique mark in the form of fingerprints when they touch items and surfaces such as cups, tables, laptops, and door handles. It has been long established that two individuals cannot have the same fingerprints. Even in the case of identical twins who have the same DNA, they still have different fingerprints. As a result, the uniqueness of fingerprints allows them to be utilized in numerous ways, including conducting individual background checks, biometric security, and mass identification when there is a disaster or a criminal scenario.
The analysis of fingerprints has been utilized to identify criminal suspects and solve numerous crimes for over a decade. In particular, fingerprinting remains an exceptionally valued and indispensable method and tool for law enforcement agencies. One of the primary reasons or importance of using a fingerprint is that it helps investigators link one crime scene involving the same person to another crime scene. In addition, fingerprint identification helps law enforcement agents to investigate criminals, check their previous convictions or arrests, and assist in sentencing, offering parole or probation, or making pardoning decisions.
Collecting Fingerprints
Numerous methods can be used to collect fingerprints, including collecting patent prints, cyanoacrylate, chemical developers, collecting latent prints, and alternate light source. However, to collect fingerprints from a non-porous object, the latent print collection method is applied. The collection of latent fingerprints is a primary approach for identifying and gathering latent prints. A smooth or non-porous exterior is dusted with a residue such as black magnetic, black granular, or aluminum flake in this method. When the powder is used, and any prints appear on the surface, a picture of them is taken. “The print is lifted from the surface using a clear adhesive tape and then placed on a latent lift card” (Ezhilmaran and Adhiyaman 507). This approach is followed as a preservation technique for the fingerprint samples.
Preventing Fingerprint Contamination
The use of fingerprint dusting powder introduces the risks of print contamination. The dust reduces or ruins all the chances of conducting an investigation using another method that could potentially reveal hidden prints or provide additional insights into a case. As a result, forensic investigators may opt to use other available approaches such as Alternate Light Sources or cyanoacrylate before utilizing the dusting powder technique.
The use of alternate light sources involves utilizing LED devices or laser that emits a particular spectrum of light wavelength. This method is becoming popular with investigators because it prevents print contamination and allows other methods to be used later. Some of the used devices have filters that offer different spectra of light, which can be photographed or processed further using powders (Bose and Kabir 31). For instance, forensic investigators may utilize blue light with orange or yellow filters to find fingerprints on doorknobs, computer keyboards, desks, or chair surfaces of a break-in scene.
Some instances stipulate that investigators use cyanoacrylate to avoid contamination. Cyanoacrylate is used for fuming a surface before the application of powders. This procedure is done on non-porous faces and exposes the item to cyanoacrylate fumes. The gases usually stick to any fingerprints that are available on the item and allow them to be seen with a tilted ambient light source or a silver light source.
Works Cited
Bose, Palash, and Mohammad Kabir. “Fingerprint: A Unique and Reliable Method for Identification.” Journal of Enam Medical College, vol. 7, no. #, 2017, pp. 29–34. doi:10.3329/jemc.v7i1.30748.
Ezhilmaran, Devarasan, and Manickam Adhiyaman. “A Review Study on Latent Fingerprint Recognition Techniques.” Journal of Information and Optimization Sciences, vol. 38, no. 3–4, 2017, pp. 501–16. doi:10.1080/02522667.2016.1224468.