FINGERPRINT WHORLD The International Journal of Quaerite et Invenietis Vol. 30 No. 118 The Fingerprint Society October 2004 Founded 1974 © Copyright 2004 ISSN 0951-1288 The Fingerprint Society Online http://www.fpsociety.org.uk/ Objectives and Scope FINGERPRINT WHORLD is a quarterly peer- reviewed journal that reflects the aims of The Fingerprint Society, which are to advance the study and application of fingerprints and to facilitate the cooperation among persons interested in this field of personal identification. It is devoted to the theory and practice of fingerprint identification science and its associated disciplines. To assist the aims, FINGERPRINT WHORLD recognises that its membership is international and multi-disciplinary and as such sees a need for both new and review articles across the spectrum of forensic science evidence- gathering topics to assist in the continual professional development of all stages of the profession. The views expressed in this journal do not necessarily represent those of the editorial staff of The Fingerprint Society. The editorial staff reserve the right to edit or alter any item received for publication in FINGERPRINT WHORLD. page 158 FINGERPRINT WHORLD Vol 30 No 118 October 2004 CONTENTS FINGERPRINT WHORLD OCTOBER 2004 Vol. 30 No. 118 COMMENT Bete Noire!! 161 Dave Charlton, Ug Dip, FFS, Editor SCIENCE A Fingerprint Powder Formulation Involving 163 Cyano Blue Dye G.S. Sodhi and Jasjeet Kaur FEATURES Fingerprint for the 21st Century 164 Michael Carling and Ian Gledhill, Lincolnshire Police Dr Henry Faulds Memorial 166 Circumstantial Evidence and Friction Skin 168 Identification Craig A. Coppock FERRT Student of the Year 2003 170 LETTER TO THE EDITOR 171 NEWS Norwich fingerprint caught IRA bomber 172 ‘Admit your crimes, you’ll feel better 174 WEBLINKS 176 WEB SITE NEWS An Urgent Update! 177 CONFERENCES 178 society Application Forms 191 business The Rules of the Fingerprint Society 194 A Brief History of the Fingerprint Society 200 Codes of Conduct 202 Guidelines for Authors 204 FINGERPRINT WHORLD Vol 30 No 118 October 2004 page 159 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 J.E. Berry, BEM, FFS, M.J. Leadbetter, BA (Hons), Regional Vice-Presidents: FFS, N. Hall, MFS F. Rogers, FFS (USA), B. Dalrymple (Canada) G. Farncomb, FFS (Northern Australia) 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 BOWEN, 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. Tel: 01273 859013 Fax: 01273 859013 email: [email protected] email: [email protected] WEB MASTER: GARY MORGAN, FFS ADVERTISING MANAGER: Cheshire Police, Fingerprint Bureau, Neston Police STEVE MEWETT, FFS Station, Hinderton Road, Neston, Cheshire. 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. TREASURER: MONICA CALLAGHAN, FFS Tel: 01273 859006 Fax: 01273 859605 West Yorkshire Police, Fingerprint Bureau, email: [email protected] 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 160 FINGERPRINT WHORLD Vol 30 No 118 October 2004 COMMENT Bete Noire!! Dave Charlton, Ug Dip, FFS, RFP Editor “Fingerprinting is too important to be left to fingerprint examiners?” (Prof Starrs, June 1st 2004) A LEADING US forensic expert has called for a radical review of fingerprint analysis. James Starrs, a professor of law and forensic sciences at George Washington University delivered a keynote speech to the Royal Society of Edinburgh on Tuesday. He told a gathering of UK experts that the current methods for testing fingerprints has not undergone adequately rigorous study and relies too much on an individual’s interpretation. The early Summer skyline of Edinburgh. He claimed that the court transcripts of fingerprint examiners’ testimonies should be scrutinised regularly by a third party in order to prevent miscarriages of justice. Starrs said: “The absence of a better criterion for fingerprint identifications bodes ill for their reliability … [There is] a reliance on individual experience, which is personal and unstructured in nature, leading to entirely personal and unverifiable conclusions which are fraught with the danger of built-in bias leading inexorably to erroneous conclusions.” Starrs said the system was in need of new remedies to test both the reliability of the technique and the quality of those making fingerprint identifications. “I would strongly recommend a review of all fingerprint identifications outside the confines of the agency first effecting the identification,” he said. FINGERPRINT WHORLD Vol 30 No 118 October 2004 page 161 “I would also maintain that the transcript of the trial testimony of fingerprint examiners should be part of the regular process of checks on their proficiency. In the conference – entitled The Reliability Of Fingerprint Identification, Starrs called for a study that combines traditional fingerprint testing with tests of DNA matter. He said: “Since DNA can be obtained from latent fingerprints, it seems to me long overdue to conduct blind trials to assess whether fingerprint examiners and molecular biologists findings concur.” Also appearing at the conference was Dr James Thorpe, director of Strathclyde University’s forensic unit and Bruce Grant, head of fingerprinting at New Scotland Yard. Oh, and your editor Dave Charlton gave a summing up to the learned audience too!! While Dr Thorpe concentrated on the need for further scientific research, Mr Grant concentrated on the existing data to verify the reliability of fingerprint evidence including 100 years of scientific testing and verification, peer review, historical data, stated cases and practical application. Mr Grant, Head of Fingerprinting at New Scotland Yard explained individuality, uniqueness and the biological concepts behind persistence and permanence. He also emphasised that Babler’s research was an accepted part of fingerprint science that had been long accepted in courts world-wide as proof of the scientific basis of latent print comparison and our practical application of that knowledge. He went on to say that ACE-V methodology was core to the examination process and that this was in line with scientific practice. Mr Grant told the gathering that error rates, as applied to fingerprint examination apply to the notion of practitioner error, and should not be confused with methodological error, which will be zero if the correct methodology is applied. He did concede that ‘to err is human’. Mr Grant conceded that objectivity and subjectivity both have their place within the ACE-V process, and that this is where practitioner error can occur. Mr Grant explained that standards are maintained through attention to training, quality assurance and competency testing. He conceded that technical competency testing may have to be introduced in addition to CRFP registration. This event, while heated, and at time controversial, was at least a step toward fingerprint examination being accepted within academia as a legitimate forensic science. This is to be welcomed. After the debate all the speakers including myself were taken to dinner, where I spent hours over bottles of red wine, talking to Prof Starrs about his views, and about the other fields of research that he has conducted. Should we shun the views of academics just because we don’t