John Oswald Cruz PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION

BS CRIMINOLOGY 4TH YEAR 2ND SEM

WEEK 13

FINGERPRINT COMPARISON

It is the process of a careful and a thorough comparison of two or more fingerprints into

its minute ridge characteristics to establish its similarities or dissimilarities.

After the latent print has been processed and developed from the crime scene, the next

responsibility of the fingerprint technician is to look for a possible match of such

questioned print with those available standard prints on file. Standard prints are either

collected or requested prints. Collected standards refers to those fingerprints collected

by law enforcement agencies from a previously arrested law violators or those prints

collected by police when one applies for police clearances. Requested standard on the

other hand, refers to those prints taken by the police from the possible suspects of the

crime investigated.

In fingerprint comparison, the ridge characteristics of the questioned print will be

compared with ridge characteristics of the standard print. A point of similarities must be

properly established to obliterate some doubts.

All the process of comparison is governing by the number of identical characteristics of

the ridges in which most 8 to 12 points identities is sufficient for a tracing identification.

A difference of a single ridge would prove not identical.

METHODS OF COMPARISON OF LATENT PRINT AND STANDARD PRINT

John Oswald Cruz PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION
BS CRIMINOLOGY 4TH YEAR 2ND SEM

1. Ordinary Method - the marking of the point of identity, and after another which is

drawn to the margin of the photograph latent and standard prints, designated by

numbers arranged in consecutive order and in clockwise direction.

KINDS OF ORDINARY METHOD

a. Simple Method – the identical points of identity in both enlargements are drawn with

a straight line in red ink to the margin. Then the ridge characteristics which were marked

are numbered in consecutive order. Beginning from the two (2) focal points, either the

core or the delta. If the number 1 is the core, the number 2 is the next characteristic and

so on until you have numbered all the identical points in both enlargements.

b. Modified Method – The same process if to applied with that of the simple method

except the line preceding the numbers are the initial of the type of the ridge

characteristics is being indicated, such as; c for core, b for bifurcation and the like.

c. Drawn Method – After marking the ridge characteristics with a straight line, the

numbers are placed about 1 centimeter immediately at the end of the line of the margin

of the photo prints. Usually, a diameter of a circle of 1 inch is placed in which inside the

circle are the drawn ridge characteristics pointed by the line.

2. Osborn Method - the two enlarge photograph which has a size of 8 by 10 inches

are

divided into squares, both exactly alike with the squares occupying the identical

positions on each, and examining them in their order, square for square, designating the

identical points in each square.

John Oswald Cruz PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION
BS CRIMINOLOGY 4TH YEAR 2ND SEM

3. Seymour Method – this method is done by making first a skeleton, tracing the

questioned prints and that of the standard print of the suspect, by making comparison

them together by holding line. Reflector or side light or projector. Then make the

necessary identification of each ridge characteristics whether they are the same or not.

4. Pricking Method – make enlargement of the same size of the chance impression and

the suspect standard print. Place the photograph of the standard print over the

photograph of the chance impression in the same position. With the use of a needle,

prick the identical points to determine if they coincide with one another.

5. Polygon Method (Pincushion Methods)

Photographic enlargement of the same scale of both question and standard prints are

required in this method. Every noticeable ridge characteristic will then be punched with

any pinpoint holes. The enlargement will be reversed and a straight line will then be

drawn connecting one hole to the other. The same procedure will also be a second

enlargement.

6. Overlay Method – The term connotes to "place something as covering"

Consequently, this method of comparison is performing by placing a transparent overlay

on top of the print under scrutiny (Questioned print), then every ridge characteristics

shall be marked with appropriate writing pen in the transparent overlay. The said

overlay is then place on top on the enlargement of the other print (standard print) which

is also having the same scale with the questioned print. Any similarity shall then be

noted. Since this method is unsophisticated, it is advice to be used by an inexperience

fingerprint examiner.
John Oswald Cruz PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION
BS CRIMINOLOGY 4TH YEAR 2ND SEM

7. Oster burg Grid Method – this method of comparison is somewhat similar to Osborn

method into certain details. The method however, goes beyond simply matching the

characteristics in corresponding grid cells. Each type of characteristics is weighed

according to a purported order of frequency thoughts are also assigned to

characteristics. Determination of identity made by a total value of the weighed

characteristics found in the given area.

8. Microscopic Triangulation Method

This is a combination of the grid and polygon methods of comparison. It requires a

microscope to view the two prints at magnifications between 10x and 25x. A reference

grid of hairlines in the microscopic field is used during the preliminary stage of the

examination to scan the prints for similarities and dissimilarities. To establish identity.

Imaginary vertical and horizontal axes are drawn between arbitrary vertical and

horizontal axes are drawn between arbitrary selected ridge characteristics; the other

characteristics are then plotted with respect to their relationship to the axes.

9. Conventional Method – This method is considered as the oldest and the surest

method of demonstrating the identity of the latent print. relationship, in this context, is

not the spatial positioning do not take into consideration the influence of the distortion in

the print; it takes considerable experience to fully comprehend this influence.

10. Photographic

This involves the use of photographic enlargement. The positioning and alignment of

both prints in the enlargement must be in close arrangement as possible. The

enlargement of the latent print is then cut in lateral strips and placed over the
John Oswald Cruz PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION
BS CRIMINOLOGY 4TH YEAR 2ND SEM

enlargement of the inked print. The two enlargements must be fastened together in

perfect conjunction. The identity is ten demonstrated by removing the strips of the latent

enlargement one at a time, exposing x's set 4 the inked print below.

AUTOMATED FINGERPRINT IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM

The Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) is the state of the art computer

based identification system. It is the process of automatically matching one or many

unknown fingerprints against a database of known and unknown prints. It replaces the

outdated manual fingerprint classification adopted by most law enforcement agencies

throughout the world over the past decade.

AFIS systems utilize specialized software and powerful computer hardware

configurations to create unique mathematical 'maps' (algorithms) based upon

relationships between the characteristics present within the finger or palm friction ridge

skin structures. Modern AFIS systems rapidly extract information from the fingerprint to

establish the pattern type, minute points and the axis of the image. The use of

mathematical algorithms enables a fingerprint to be compared with millions of file prints

within a matter of seconds.

The latest AFIS systems may also incorporate palm print matching capabilities. In the

majority of operating systems palm print images are divided up into a number of small

segments so that the software can effectively and efficiently code, store and search the

palm data within a reasonable time frame (similar size to a rolled fingerprint impression).
John Oswald Cruz PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION
BS CRIMINOLOGY 4TH YEAR 2ND SEM

AFIS software utilizes the impressions obtained them rolled index fingers or thumbs to

search and match again. Existing ten print records within the database. This matching

process is used in proving identity in the recording of criminal convictions.

The AFIS system may use the rolled impressions of combination of the rolled and flat

impressions of all fingers to compare against the unsolved crime latent database. This

process is used when comparing new arrest finger and palm images against the

unsolved crime latent database or when comparing new crime scene latent evidence

against the existing arrest records within the tenprint database.

Different systems offer "binary" or "grey-scale" images. Pure black and white images

depicted as binary images frequently allow important data to "drop out" of the image. ie.

the scanner or reader recognized black and white but not the shades of grey. Modern

systems offer grey scale images and, depending on the system, these images may be

captured using up to 256 grey levels which gives the examiner more detailed data to

compare and identify.

Latent images can be scanned from physical “lifts” negatives, photographs or uploaded

from digital cameras. All in high quality.

matching fingerprint images from the print database. The fingerprint examiner verifies

the results and indicates whether an identification has been made against any one of

the nominated candidates.

While the list provided by the AFIS is given in order of decreasing match value (as

calculated by the search algorithm), the final identification, as established by the

John Oswald Cruz PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION
BS CRIMINOLOGY 4TH YEAR 2ND SEM

fingerprint expert, may not necessarily be among the first few candidates on the list.

Despite the progress made in computer hardware and software, AFIS technology has

not yet eliminated the need for human verification of AFIS match results.

The AFIS database contains several separate databases, each with its own specific

purpose and storage scheme, to facilitate efficient overall system performance. These

include the tenprint, palm print and unsolved crime case image databases (finger and

palm).

Procedure in Fingerprint Inquiry and Image Verification

1. Tenprint Latent print images are read via scanner and stored in a storage disk. When

the workstation issues an inquiry, the fingerprint-matching processor gets data from the

storage and compares it with the search print.

2. The fingerprint matching processor compares minutiae data detected from search

prints to minutiae data of registered print. Those prints that have resemblance in

minutiae are selected as candidate match,

3. The position, directions and relations (number of ridge lines between adjacent

minutiae) of the minutiae of the search print and file print are compared. If ay minutiae

resemble each other, these are selected as pair minutiae. If the numbers of pair

minutiae exceed the set value, the degree of resemblance (inquiry score) is calculated

by rotating the search print axis around the file print axis until the most minutiae pairs

are found.

4. Candidate fingerprint images for fingerprint selected by the fingerprint matching

processor are automatically retrieve from the database.

John Oswald Cruz PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION
BS CRIMINOLOGY 4TH YEAR 2ND SEM

5. The search print image and candidate fingerprint are displayed side by side and are

verified on the fingerprint work station. The fingerprint images can be magnified, rotated

and shows the pair minutiae by charting.

Procedure in Ten print Identification

1. Police makes a fingerprinting of the suspect(s) together with important demographic

data information.

2. The fingerprint card is sent to the PNP Crime laboratory (AFIS) to confirm the identity

and criminal history of the suspect. After which, the fingerprint card is sent to the

Fingerprint Workstation for verification.

3. The operator conducts a verification of "Near Hit" candidates through the Fingerprint

Matching Processor by entering the search fingerprint on the processor a result of which

is a candidate fingerprint.

4. Once the candidate fingerprint is a Hit Candidates a tenprint card is registered to

future criminal history at the same time replies the suspect's identity and criminal

history. While, if a candidate fingerprint is considered No Hit Candidate, Tenprints are

registered to the database.

THE PNP AFIS

The AFIS Technology invaded to the Philippine National Police (PNP) Crime laboratory

by virtue of the kind assistance by through Japan the Japanese Government through

Japan Coordinating Agency or JICA on MAY 24, 2005., onal ally1998 the Philippine

Government thru NEDA had negotiated

John Oswald Cruz PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION
BS CRIMINOLOGY 4TH YEAR 2ND SEM

Government to grant financial support thru its General Grant Aid Program (GGAP). True

enough, the Japan government responded the request and send their first batch of

experts in the Philippine in 2001 to study the Basic Design of the project and the second

batch on 2002. The expert came up with the basic design in the following year. In May

2005, Japanese Ambassador Ryuichiro Yamazaki formally turnover the project to the

PNP.