| he earliest use of fingerprints was in ancient Babylon, | | | | black ink. Print your name - Very Legibly - at the top, |
| on clay tablets to record business transactions. | | | | including full middle name, not middle initial. You sign in |
| Fingerprints are a much more humane way to identify | | | | the "signature of person fingerprinted" box, and the |
| criminals compared to previously used methods | | | | technician signs and dates as "official taking |
| including branding (the French used a fleur-di-lis symbol), | | | | fingerprints". Complete the entries prior to fingerprinting. |
| tattooing (in early Rome to identify and prevent | | | | Be sure to include the business card of the fingerprint |
| desertion of mercenary soldiers) and even maiming | | | | technician when you submit the card! If there is any |
| (removing the hand of a thief). The objective was the | | | | question, the technician can then be contacted; as |
| same, to identify career criminals. | | | | there is no place for the technician phone number on |
| While most of the body's skin is smooth, our fingers, | | | | the card. Keep a card for yourself, a good fingerprint |
| palms and feet have "friction ridges", which allow our | | | | technician will offer a redo or refund if their work is |
| extremities to grip, manipulate, and have traction. A | | | | rejected. |
| carryover from prehistoric times, friction ridges helped | | | | Prior to fingerprinting the hands should be washed |
| us climb rocks and trees to enter our caves and | | | | (twice) with soap and hot water taking care to |
| gather food. Our extremities were our first "tools". | | | | remove all soap, hand cream, etc. Next, a "pre-print" |
| Friction ridge patterns established prior to birth; are | | | | alcohol wipe is applied to the fingertips further drying |
| unique and unalterable. It is these slightly higher friction | | | | the fingertips. A skilled technician will arrange the |
| ridges that touch smooth surfaces and leave a | | | | fingerprint card holder based on the height of the client, |
| distinctive pattern: a fingerprint. | | | | and position their client's stance such that the arm and |
| Dactyloscopy is the science of using fingerprints to | | | | wrist are able to turn smoothly. It is very important that |
| identify a person. The three basic fingerprint patterns | | | | the room be a bit cooler than comfortable - prints |
| are the Arch, Loop and Whorl (circle). The basic | | | | taken in a hot or humid environment will suffer from |
| patterns are further classified until similarities are | | | | "running" and will not be acceptable. Avoid fingerprinting |
| eliminated, leaving a single qualifying fingerprint. The FBI | | | | a seated subject. |
| now receives over 34,000 fingerprint cards daily, | | | | Follow the directions of the technician. Most of all do |
| classification is required to categorize each person; | | | | not attempt to "assist" in the procedure. It is a mistake, |
| comparison against the database (one of the largest | | | | and will degrade the prints if you add pressure, actively |
| and fastest growing databases in the world) would be | | | | turn your finger or watch the process. It is really best if |
| impractical. | | | | you close your eyes or look away. From my |
| Friction Ridges are subject to wear, being slightly higher | | | | experience, watching will involuntarily cause you to |
| than the base skin layer. As a fingerprint technician, I | | | | "assist". An experienced technician will take a few |
| have noticed that some people have very "shallow" | | | | "test" prints on scrap paper to judge the amount of |
| ridges. This occurs from occupational and hobby | | | | pressure (different for applying ink / taking the |
| activities. Some of the more difficult people to | | | | fingerprint) and "twist speed" required for optimal |
| fingerprint successfully (accepted for classification) | | | | results. Occasionally an individual print (one of 20 on a |
| include: medical professionals who wash their hands | | | | fingerprint card) will be substandard. "ReDo" tabs, |
| literally hundreds of times a day; string instrument | | | | rectangular peel and stick "overlays" are used to |
| players not using a "pick"; artists, painters, and others | | | | correct a misprint - no more than three per card is |
| working with chemicals who do not wear protective | | | | customary. |
| gloves; sailors working with ropes and receiving the | | | | Fingerprints are truly unique. The DNA of identical twins |
| inevitable "rope burns"; and employment in overseas | | | | is identical; however, their fingerprints differ! Our |
| laundries still using phosphates. There are many others. | | | | appearance changes dramatically over our lifetimes; |
| Most fingerprinting is done using "Live Scan", Inkpad, or | | | | our fingerprints do not. Sir Francis Galton, (British |
| "Slab and Roller"; each has advantages. The Live Scan | | | | anthropologist and a cousin of Charles Darwin), in his |
| method is basically a scanner that photographs the | | | | landmark book "Fingerprinting, 1892" included one of the |
| fingertips - no ink is used. It is generally very fast and | | | | first classification systems for fingerprinting. He |
| accurate. Unfortunately, though promising, few | | | | calculated that the odds of identical fingerprints were |
| requesters are equipped to accept the electronic feed, | | | | one in 64 billion! Take good care of those fingertips, |
| mobile (at your location) units are very expensive, and | | | | with the exception of that slight statistical deviation; |
| there is no "hard copy" fingerprint card produced. Most | | | | they are truly unique. |
| fingerprinting is done with a specialized "inkpad" (not the | | | | Note: New York State does not specifically license |
| inkpad used with rubber stamps!) and a device to hold | | | | fingerprint technicians. If such a license existed I would |
| the fingerprint card. In difficult cases, where the | | | | have it. The authority for me to fingerprint comes from |
| applicant has very shallow "ridges" - the Glass Slab | | | | my New York State Notary Commission, allowing me |
| and Roller replaces the inkpad. Slab and Roller allows | | | | to administer "oaths" and "establish identity". Not one |
| the fingerprint technician to precisely control the | | | | single card has ever been rejected for lack of |
| amount of ink spread by the roller on the slab and | | | | "authority". Prior to signing as "Official taking |
| subsequently "picked up" by the fingertips. Properly | | | | fingerprints" each notary must investigate their state |
| prepared, the smooth glass slab is almost transparent - | | | | and local laws regarding licensing; and obtain proper |
| even with the ink! | | | | training. Similar to Notarization; Fingerprinting involves |
| You will need to present to the Notary / Fingerprint | | | | public trust and the responsibilities are profound. Be |
| Technician positive government issued photo ID. The | | | | certain you are authorized and trained, and can tell at a |
| technician signing the card is aware they are (typically) | | | | glance "good from bad" prior to commercial operation. |
| preparing an entry for the FBI's database; and will insist | | | | Consult an attorney for legal advice prior to |
| on very positive ID. Most print cards require the use of | | | | fingerprinting in your jurisdictions. |