Did you know that fingerprints are the 
"Most dynamic piece of evidence known to man today"?

This quote is by Mr. Robert Hazen, retired FBI latent print examiner, administrator, and instructor at the FBI Academy, Quantico, VA. The reasoning behind this statement is that fingerprints are unique to the individual and are permanent. This includes all friction ridge surfaces on the body (the fingers, palms of the hands, and the soles of the feet), all of which are biologically created about the fourth month of fetal life and remain permanent, barring severe scarring, amputation, or until after death and decomposition.

Does your department support a Latent Print Unit?    If not, ask yourself the question, why not?   As an administrator, the return on your investment in supporting a latent print unit is extremely cost effective. The latent print unit is the only discipline in the Forensic Laboratory that can provide the suspect's name and make a positive identification. All other disciplines use the word probability and support their answers using identification probabilities (i.e., 1 in 10,000 or 1 in 1,000,000, etc.). Even DNA experts do not claim a positive identification using the techniques known in science today.

Equipment to establish a new latent print unit or better support an established latent print unit is expensive as an initial capital outlay. However, once established, you are certain to get the Most Bang for your Bucks as an administrator or manager. To support that statement, you must keep in mind that a great many guilty pleas by the defendants are the result of the defendant's fingerprints being identified from the crime scene. This translates into fewer or shorter court cases, which saves the police and courts time and, ultimately, the citizens money. When budget time comes around each year and you, as an administrator, can show significant results supporting efficiency and solutions to crimes in a timely manner, you develop a strong position for obtaining requested funds for the coming year.

If your department supports a latent print unit, or is considering establishing one in the future, SCAFO is here to assist you with a section for recruitment on the EMPLOYMENT opportunities page, where you can post a job listing that is accessible to all on the Web.  If your department has personnel who are members of SCAFO, you can submit a Departmental website address to the SCAFO editor for inclusion on our page of AGENCY links so that interested parties can directly access your department's home page.