FINGERPRINT AT A CRIME SCENE

An impression made by the friction ridges on a human finger is known as a fingerprint. An essential forensic science technique is the extraction of fragments of fingerprints from crime scenes. Fingerprints left on materials like glass or metal due to moisture and grease are unattractive. Ink or other substances can be deliberately transmitted from the highest points of friction ridges on the skin to a surface that is flawless, such as paper, to create impressions of full fingerprints. Although sections of the lower joint areas of the fingers are also frequently recorded on fingerprint cards, fingerprint records typically comprise impressions from the pad on the last joint of fingers and thumbs.

Human fingerprints are suitable as permanent markers of human identification because they are intricate, almost one-of-a-kind, challenging to change, and resilient throughout the course of an individual's lifetime. They may be used by the police or other authorities to identify people who want to hide their identity or to identify those who are unable to identify themselves due to illness or death, as can occur after a natural disaster.

Academics, judges, or the media have criticized their use as evidence. Researchers have looked into whether experts can objectively focus on feature information in fingerprints without being misled by extraneous information, such as context. They claim that there are no uniform standards for point-counting methods and that the error rate in matching fingerprints has not been adequately studied.