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FINGERPRINT WHORLD The International Journal of Quaerite et Invenietis Vol. 31 No. 122 The Fingerprint Society October 2005 Founded 1974 © Copyright 2005 ISSN 0951-1288 The Fingerprint Society Online http://www.fpsociety.org.uk/ THE FINGERPRINT SOCIETY QUAERITE ET INVENIETIS FOUNDED 1974 Patron: Vacant President: S. Haylock, F.F.S. (City of London) Regional Vice Presidents: F. Rogers, F.F.S. (Arizona, USA) B. Dalrymple, F.F.S. (Ontario Provincial Police, Canada) G. Farncomb, F.F.S. (Australian Federal Police) R. Plummer, F.F.S. (Southern Australia) Chairman: V. Galloway, F.F.S. (Leicestershire) Secretary: K. Smith, F.F.S. (Warwickshire) Treasurer: M. Callaghan, F.F.S. (West Yorkshire) Membership Secretary: P. Smith, F.F.S. (Warwickshire) Subscriptions Secretary: C. McGowan, F.F.S. (Lancashire) Editor of Fingerprint Whorld: D. Charlton, F.F.S. (Sussex) Advertising Manager: S. Mewett, F.F.S. (Sussex) Committee Members: N. Aspel, F.F.S. (TVP) S. Haylock, F.F.S. (Cambs) C. Patton, F.F.S. (PITO) R. Broadstock, F.F.S. (Retired) K. Kershaw, F.F.S. (GMP) J. Roberts, F.F.S. (Sussex) M. Callaghan, F.F.S. (West Yorks) M. Leadbetter, F.F.S. (Cambs) K. Smith, F.F.S. (Warks) M. Chamberlain, F.F.S. (Humbs) R. Mackenzie, F.F.S. (SCRO) P. Smith, F.F.S. (Warks) D. Charlton, F.F.S. (Sussex) C. McGowan F.F.S. (Lancs) K. Stow, M.F.S. (Derby) G. Dempster, M.F.S. (Grampian) S. Mewett, F.F.S. (Sussex) M. Valentine, F.F.S. (GMP) D. Fairhurst, F.F.S. (Surrey) G. Morgan, F.F.S. (Cheshire) I. Williams, F.F.S. (Cambs) V. Galloway, F.F.S. (Leicester) Honorary Members (MON, M.F.S.) Ex-Commander G. Lambourne, Q.P.M., S.G. Durrett F.F.S. Mr. F. Warboys, O.B.E., B.A., F.F.S., Mr. T. Kent, Sheila Hardwick, P.S.D.B., Sandridge, Ken Creer, M.B.E., F.B.I.P.P., F.R.P.S. Life Members: J.E. Berry, F.F.S., M.J. Leadbetter, F.F.S., B.A. Hons., N. Hall, M.F.S. Consultants: F.R. Bayford, M.F.S., F.R.S.H., Pharmacist, Dr. Roger Davis, Forensic Scientist, Dr. N.R. Totty, Principal Scientific Officer, Handwriting Examiner, Prof. J. Verbov, J.P., M.D., F.R.C.P., FRCPCH, FIBiol, FLS. United Kingdom Legal Advisor: Vacant United States Legal Advisor: David C. Mount, U.S. Secret Service Executive Sub-Committee: President, Chairman, Secretary, Membership Secretary, Treasurer, Editor. The Lewis Minshall Award Collator: R. Mackenzie, F.F.S. (S.C.R.O.) page 202 FINGERPRINT WHORLD Vol 31 No 122 October 2005 CONTENTS FINGERPRINT WHORLD OCTOBER 2005 Vol. 31 No. 122 EDITORIAL Evolution or Revolution? 205 Dave Charlton, Ug Dip, FFS, RFP, Editor RESEARCH Traumatic Stress – and the Crime Scene Examiner 206 by Simon Chapman, BA (Hons), MA, RFP FEATURES Fingerprint Society Lectures 2005, Brighton 213 Fire Investigation Courses to Aid Battle 223 Against Arsonists FERRT Student of the Year 2004 224 SCIENCE The Use of Infra-red Filters to Remove 225 Background Patterns in Fingerprint Imaging by S.M. Bleay and T. Kent Proflavin-Based Fingerprint Dusting Composition 239 by G.S. Sodhi and Jasjeet Kaur CONFERENCE 31st Annual Educational Conference 240 17-19 March 2006, Scottish Police College, Tulliallan Castle, Scotland CONFERENCE National Symposium on Emerging Areas 242 REPORT of Forensic Science by G.S. Sodhi, Gurmeet Kaur, Gurvinder Kaur and P.S. Jassal NEWS 246 WEBLINKS 255 WEB SITE NEWS An Urgent Update! 257 society A Brief History of the Fingerprint Society 258 business The Rules of the Fingerprint Society 260 Codes of Conduct 266 Guidelines for Authors 268 FINGERPRINT WHORLD Vol 31 No 122 October 2005 page 203 THE AIMS OF THE SOCIETY THE To advance the study and application of fingerprints and to facilitate the FINGERPRINT co-operation among persons interested in this field of personal identification. SOCIETY QUAERITE ET INVENIETIS FOUNDED 1974 FOUNDER MEMBERS: D.R. Brooker, Consultants N.J. Hall, S.E. Haylock, M.J. Leadbetter. F.R. Byford, MFS, FRSH, Dr. R. Davis, Dr. R.N. Totty, Prof. J. Verbov, MD, FRCP, Patron: Vacant at this time FRCPCH, FIBiol PRESIDENT: STEPHEN E. HAYLOCK, FFS Legal Advisor City of London Police, Fingerprint Bureau, D.C. Mount (USA) 37 Wood Street, London EC2P 2NQ. Tel: 0207 601 2333 Life Members Regional Vice-Presidents: J.E. Berry, BEM, FFS, M.J. Leadbetter, BA (Hons), F. Rogers, FFS (USA), B. Dalrymple (Canada) FFS, N. Hall, MFS G. Farncomb, FFS (Australian Federal Police) R. Plummer, FFS (Southern Australia) Committee Members R. Mackenzie (Strathclyde), M. Valentine (GMP), CHAIRPERSON: VIVIENNE GALLOWAY, FFS V. Galloway (Leicester), S. Haylock (COLP), Leicester Constabulary, Fingerprint Bureau, R. Broadstock (Retired), G. Morgan (Cheshire), St. John’s Enderby, Leicester LE5 9BX. C. McGowan (Lancashire), D. Charlton (Sussex), Tel: 0116 248 2580 G. Dempster (Grampian), C. Patton (PITO), K. Luff (Retired), D. Fairhurst, FFS (Surrey), SECRETARY: M. Leadbetter FFS (Camb.) KATHRYN SMITH, FFS Warwickshire Police Fingerprint Bureau Scientific Official Publication: Support Unit, High St, Southam, Warwickshire CV47 0HB. FINGERPRINT WHORLD email: [email protected] Published quarterly: January, April, July, October. MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY: PAUL SMITH, FFS EDITOR: DAVID CHARLTON, FFS Warwickshire Police Fingerprint Bureau Scientific Sussex Fingerprint Bureau, Sussex House, Support Unit, High St, Southam, Crowhurst Road, Brighton BN1 8AF. Warwickshire CV47 0HB. email: [email protected] Tel: 01273 859013 Fax: 01273 859013 email: [email protected] WEB MASTER: GARY MORGAN, FFS Cheshire Constabulary, Forensic Investigation Unit, ADVERTISING MANAGER: Police HQ, Clemonds Hey, Oakmere Road, STEVE MEWETT, FFS Winsford CW7 2UA. Sussex Fingerprint Bureau, Sussex House, Tel: 01244 612414 Crowhurst Road, Brighton BN1 8AF. email: [email protected] Tel: 01273 859006 Fax: 01273 859605 email: [email protected] SUBSCRIPTION SECRETARY: CHERYL McGOWAN SUPPLIES OFFICER: JOHN ROBERTS, FFS Lancashire Fingerprint Bureau, Sussex Fingerprint Bureau, Sussex House, PO Box 77, Hutton, Preston PR4 5SB. Crowhurst Road, Brighton BN1 8AF. Tel: 01273 859006 Fax: 01273 859605 TREASURER: MONICA CALLAGHAN, FFS email: [email protected] West Yorkshire Police, Fingerprint Bureau, Bishopgarth, Westfield Road, Wakefield WF1 3QP. ARCHIVIST: MERVYN VALENTINE, FFS Tel: 01924 208207 Fax: 01924 292918 Greater Manchester Police, Scientific Support Services, Fingerprint Bureau, Bradford Park, Hon. Members and Advisors 3 Bank St., Clayton, Manchester M11 4AA. G. Lambourne, QPM, FFS (UK), M. Carrick (USA), S.G. Durrett, FFS (USA), F. Warboys, OBE, BA, PRESS LIAISON OFFICER: KEN LUFF FFS, T. Kent (UK), S. Hardwick (UK), K. Creer, London based MBE, FBIPP, FRPS, Mr. T. Kent. email: [email protected] page 204 FINGERPRINT WHORLD Vol 31 No 122 October 2005 EDITORIAL Dave Charlton, Ug Dip, FFS, RFP Editor Evolution or Revolution? If you believe in evolution you can trace all of our lower back problems to the time when the first hominid stood erect. Hugo A. Keim Recently, I was accused of being a forensic ‘revolutionary’. It was not intended as a compliment. I am supposedly someone who has scant regard for the tradition of fingerprint science, and who is prepared to throw it all away at a whim. I have some very strong views about both the current status of Force Fingerprint Bureau, as well as firm beliefs and ideas about how the fingerprint science should progress in the coming months and years. These opinions do not always fit snugly within the normal mould of a fingerprint expert, who toils away in the background working meticulously to find identifications for our Police partners. Never making too many waves. Is it correct to assume that only a slow evolution of procedures and ideas will be beneficial to the fingerprint science, or is a ‘Big Bang’ philosophy appropriate when assessing new thinking and new concepts? The trouble with an evolution of ideas, at least in the context of fingerprint science, is that it assumes that what has gone before was right in the first place, that the ‘natural selection’ of best practice has followed the right evolutionary branch on the forensic scientific tree. In Australia and Madagascar there are all sorts of strange life forms and organisms that are unique to their own island environment. Both lands are cut off from the main global evolutionary pathway. Geological fortune has dictated that this is so. As it probably is with ‘island’ fingerprint bureau around the world, each assuming it is conducting correct scientific practice, each answering the needs of ISO audits based on what the bureau has always done in the past, rather than what is necessarily correct. Yet better practices (organisms) may exist in other ‘islands’. ‘Island organisms’ better equipped to survive in the modern world. In recent years our profession has suffered from a collective ‘bad back’. Our pseudo traditions and assumptions of best practice cripple us. Police and the public want us to be able to run faster, but we cannot, the pain is too great. Instead of addressing the root cause of the ‘bad back’, we look at ways of helping us walk and function with a stick to enable us cope with the disability. Never functioning at 100% efficiency. Maybe we should be looking at whether we can find ways of getting rid of the disability altogether! Yes, I believe in forensic revolution if it is necessary. In the case of our profession I think it just might be. Let’s not hobble around with a bad back. ACPO and PSU act as pretty good chiropractors if we are prepared to let them assess the ‘skeleton’ of our profession and allow them to suggest new ways of performing tasks to get rid of the ‘back pain’. Without debilitation we can move on and thrive.