Putin Creates Fingerprinting Order

Russian President Vladimir Putin

President Vladimir Putin has issued a new order requiring all foreign visitors to submit a fingerprint upon entry into Russia.  This law is set to take place on December 10, 2014. It is set in place in order to improve law enforcement, prevention of legal migration, and barring terrorists from entering the country. Putin has a plan that may outdo the IAFIS, which only contains fingerprints only in the United States, by creating system that contains fingerprints from everyone in the entire world.

Do you think Putin is being unfair or unreasonable or do you think this is something the United States should probably invest in? It is much easier to fake a passport then to fake a fingerprint. If illegal immigrants or convicts of other countries are trying to make an entry, they will have a much more difficult time in Russia. Yes, this may also be a violation of rights to many and even myself but with the world today I feel as though giving up a fingerprint isn’t that detrimental.

Russia has been threatened by a lot of nations of late after invading Ukraine. This system put in place is mainly a protection system for them. Their geographic location enables for many immigrants to cross over into the nation since the country is so large that it borders several nations. With the migration issues in Syria and Iraq, a lot of people have begun scattering to surrounding nations for survival due to the increasing threat of ISIS. This has caused increased issues for the nations who are harboring these people because a lot of these nations are unable to take in hundreds of thousands of refugees. Resources become overused and demolished which ruins the infrastructure.

Knowing this information, can you blame Russia for being a little concerned? A nation in which everything is mostly government controlled could easily have their system threatened. Putin forcing visitors to be fingerprinted isn’t the worst thing this country has done. In fact, he may have single handedly created a method in which scares people from trying to cross over so easily. If this fingerprint system was set in place over 30 years ago, many immigrants would find it impossible to enter the country especially since fingerprints are specific to individuals.

Would it be a good idea for the United States to implement a fingerprint policy in order to prevent illegal immigrants from entering the nation and leaving again? This policy could help prevent the issue of illegal immigration. Fingerprinting as mentioned before can identify any individual. Also, if a printed illegal immigrant is caught, he/she can be identified a lot easier. This could help eliminate a huge portion of crime especially if immigrants are being fingerprinted upon entry.

Putin may have created a revolution for customs for nations all around the world if this new system succeeds and does well. If this system backfires and prevents people from wanting to go to Russia could really hurt their economy as well in the long run. 

References:

http://www.whatdoesitmean.com/axx1.jpg 

”Putin orders fingerprinting of all foreigners arriving in Russia.” (2014, November 25). Retrieved November 25, 2014

 http://rt.com/politics/208615-foreigners-biometric-fingerprinting-russian/ 

Quantitative Image Measurements! Latent Printing

In this article titled as "Forensic Comparison and Matching of Fingerprints: Using Quantitative Image Measures for Estimating Error Rates through Understanding and Predicting Difficult", the author delves into how latent fingerprints are viewed through high tech imagery. 

Latent Print

These prints found (latent prints) are described and in this article latent prints are described in a step by step process which I intend on demonstrating here in this article. The total area, area ratio, image intensity, block intensity, contrast, ridges, and the visibility of cores and deltas all are among the procedures needed to be taken and found in order to fully identify someone based off of an individual fingerprint.

A database of fingerprint images had been created by this company's use of latent print identification. Tests here were completed on expert forensic examiners in order to see how well trained they really were "For example, in the study reported here, images appeared on a computer monitor; examiners were limited in comparison time for each pair; and judgments were constrained to indicating that a pair of prints came from the same source or different sources, i.e., “inconclusive” was not a permitted response for difficult comparisons. These features of our design were chosen so that we could collect important data, including best-guess match determinations for difficult comparisons, and to permit us to obtain enough data to allow us to explore the set of image characteristics that might predict difficulty."

Model predictions of average accuracy for 20 test print pairs plotted against observed average

The motive that this company has is to prove that technology like this may be putting people out of jobs soon enough which I believe to be extremely upsetting for people in my major as this is our hope and some peoples dreams so if these jobs die out, then companies will find no reason to hire people. 

Accuracy in the field of forensic science is major. As I have mentioned in previous articles that validity is what keeps a forensic scientist moving. Whenever a mistake is made, a job can be lost. It's amazing that these professionals were outworked by these machines which to me shows that either they are being taught incorrectly or aren't being descriptive enough. This angers me to no end because if I or someone in my family was being represented by a professional examiner, I would expect this person to know absolutely everything their field and job. 

This article created a huge impact on me because now I am very excited to try and work harder than these people who are settling for mediocrity and aren't working as hard as they possibly could to be the best they can. This job is about precision and accuracy and I definitely am striving to be 100% right each time because from this article, it clearly shows that these people are settling for much less without hesitation even if they are under a test. I believe that that these image measurements may be the key to accurate fingerprinting in the future. 

Kellman, Phillip J. "Forensic Comparison and Matching of Fingerprints: Using Quantitative Image Measures for Estimating Error Rates through Understanding and Predicting Difficulty." PLOS ONE:. PLOS One, 2 May 2014. Web. 23 Nov. 2014.

Edmond Locard: The Pioneer of Fingerprinting

Dr. Edmond Locard was a french criminalist who sometimes was even referred to as the "Sherlock Holmes of France." He had a niche in comparing science to law through his time as an expert. He went on to publish over 40 pieces of literature. During the first World War, Locard worked as a medical examiner for the French Secret Service examining the damages and stains of soldier's uniforms in order to determine the location and cause of deaths. In 1910, he was offered the opportunity to create his first evidence room by Lyon Police which later would be recognized as a laboratory. Dactylography is a study that deals with fingerprints.

He began by studying the pores and impressions of fingerprints. He states that 12 specific points on the fingerprints that can be matched would be enough to match an unknown print to a known print. In 1929, Locard then helped create the International Academy of Criminalistics in Switzerland. This building didn't last long due to the destruction that came with World War 2.

The 12 specific points are the dots, ridges, bifurcations, etc. mentioned in previous blogs. These can all prove to be unique as each person may have dots in different location of the print and lines may start or terminate at different points of the print. This theory shows that no 12 specified locations of a print are similar. Locard helped pioneer a new era of fingerprint determination and identification. People have continued to build off his theory as new fingerprint identification centers have opened up around the world which all use the 12 point indicator that Locard founded but didn't necessarily perfect. The IAFIS uses a similar system as they identify particular points of the fingerprint and keep a database for all fingerprints ever recorded which helps pinpoint suspects much quicker than finding a suspect and fingerprinting them because they are suspicious. This system will locate the suspect anywhere across the country.

Locard was a very famous scientist that may have been best known for Locard Exchange Principle theory which explains how trace evidence can be transferred through contact with an object. This can help determine how a small red fiber from a shirt ended up on a chair in a local restaurant. This fiber alone can help find the suspect.

Take a step back and think about it. You may be sitting down while reading this article in a chair or a couch. Believe it or not, your pants are having fibers fall of them and are resting on the seat. These fibers are not very visible but will remain there for a very long time unless vacuumed. Investigators are so easily able to retrieve this evidence by using tweezers or in some cases a vacuum which is effective but not necessarily the most effective method available. When a vacuum is used, it may be hard to sift through dirt and other particulates to pinpoint the fiber needed. Tweezers are effective when found at the scene of the crime because no fingerprints are involved in lifting the sample.

References:

Forensic Science Central. (n.d.). Retrieved November 19, 2014, from http://forensicsciencecentral.co.uk/edmondlocarm 

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A 23 Year old Mystery Solved: Fingerprint Residues

Case Synopsis: In 1991, a  78 year old grandmother named Lucille Johnson was brutally murdered in her home in Salt Lake City, Utah. The woman had been strangled and beaten profusely and when authorities had arrived they have noticed Lego's scattered all throughout the entryway of the home. The case had become cold due to the lack of DNA testing sites (later developed in the early 2000's). The case was reopened in 2013, investigators were able to test residue underneath Johnson's fingernails. The residue contained DNA that convicted 47-year old John Sansing to the murder. In order to really prove it was him, investigators had tested the fingerprints on the Lego's. A direct match was made to his son which led to a lot of assumptions. It is believed that the child was used to gain entry and that Sansing and Johnson previously did not know one another.

Lucille Johnson 

John Sansing 

The Deltas, Ridges, Dots, and Bifurcations enabled investigators to pinpoint specific parts of the fingerprint. Knowing that each fingerprint is specific to an individual, Sansing easily pleaded guilty to the charges against him. The case was closed and even though the family of Mrs. Johnson may never be the same, fingerprinting and DNA analysis enabled her family to have closure on the murderer of the family. 

In this case presented, Latent Prints are taken. Latent prints are fingerprints collected from the scene of the crime that cannot be seen directly from the human eye. The prints removed from the Lego pieces are taken from a taping method which is common for all types of prints. The examination process isn't necessarily the longest part but one of the most crucial. If a wrong match is made, it is basically guaranteed that whoever made the call will be fired and most likely will never be hired anywhere again due to lack of credibility. Forensics is a very difficult and risky field to get into, a lot of research and preparation is needed to keep your job. That is why the longest part of the process of fingerprinting would be the research behind the sample taken and the readiness of being prepared for a court case. 

In today's society it is almost impossible for a case to go unsolved due to the expanded technological advances. Most crime shows today may cause someone to believe that whatever they see is actually how things are in real life. From a scientist's point of view I can tell you that is wrong, especially in fingerprinting. The image of the fingerprint itself, doesn't put a criminal away. What puts the criminal away are the small characteristics found within  a strong microscope. Fingerprints can almost be taken from any object imaginable. For example, if an intruder breaks into the house and accidentally touches a bar of soap, and investigator can remove the prints using a lifting method after placing a tape-like object on the soap. The impressions made can be taken out and brought in for investigation. This is known as 3D/Plastic Printing. 

RESOURCES:
Curry, C. Lego Fingerprints Helped Solve Cold Case Murder. Retrieved November 15, 2014. <http://abcnews.go.com/US/lego-fingerprints-helped-solve-cold-case-murder-authorities/story?id=25178331>.
http://www.waunakeepubliclibrary.org/sites/www.waunakeepubliclibrary.org/files/images/events/Picture2.png
http://localtvkstu.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/john-sansing-ariz-dept-of-corrections.jpg
http://a.abcnews.com/images/US/HT_cold_case_2_sk_140829_4x3t_384.jpg

Fingerprinting: The Key to Prosecution

How many people in the world have the same fingerprint? Absolutely, no one. Fingerprints are the number one way to identify a criminal from the scene of a crime. Identical twins have even shown to have different fingerprints which people may never know but holds true. Most cases can be solved when fingerprints at the scene of the crime are found. Investigators have been examining prints over the last century and advancements in technology have only further expedited the process. Private labs all around the country have been keeping track of prints nationwide so no matter what state a crime was committed in, there would be no lapse in data or time to solve a crime. 

Did you know that each fingerprint in the United States is held under the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS). This sure does make one want to tread lightly right? Since the creation in July of 1999, the IAFIS has enabled the FBI to crack down on cases. 

The FBI is classified by three types of fingerprints:

• Latent Prints - Fingerprints that are not visible to the human eye 
• Patent Prints - Fingerprints are visible to the human eye 
• 3D/Plastic Prints - Fingerprints left in a soft substance where an impression can be seen with depth as an added element. 

There are three classifications for fingerprints which are:

• Arches - 65% of individuals have this 
• Whorls - 30% of individuals have this 
• Loops - 5% of individuals have this 

Whorls

Loop

Arches

Take a hard look at your fingers right now and compare them to the pictures you see in front of you. These designs on your fingertips could lead to solving some of the most difficult crimes out there. 

Each characterization is also different based off of different points of minutiae: Deltas, Ridge Endings, Dots, and Bifurcations. 

Crime shows always make it seem so simple and easy but each fingerprint is carefully laid out and examined under a microscope to observe the different points of minutiae. Each mark is carefully examined and compared by the IAFIS. With a direct match, prosecutors need no other evidence then a fingerprint which will help out in speeding up a trial. 

Forensic Case: Francesca Rojas Murder Case

Argentina

On June 19, 1892, Francesca Rojas came home to find her two children stabbed to death as she watched a man escape out of her window. This man was believed to have been denied by Rojas during sexual advances. Velasquez, the man accused was arrested and tortured for weeks. Many investigators searched for weeks and found a bloody thumbprint on a door handle. They had made Rojas take black ink print to compare the thumbprint. This evidence directly linked Rojas to the crime when a direct match was made through fingerprints. Rojas tried to frame this man into killing her kids because of his known dislike for children but when convicted she was sentenced to life in prison. 

Resources:

http://www.academyofhandanalysis.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Arch.jpg

http://www.academyofhandanalysis.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Whorl.gif 

http://www.academyofhandanalysis.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/loop3.jpg 

"A bloody fingerprint elicits a mother's evil tale in Argentina." History Channel. (n.d). Retrieved November 12, 2014. 

http://www/history.com/this-day-in-history/a-bloody-fingerprint-elicits-a-mothers-evil-tale-in-argentina