Fingerprints have been an important element in criminal investigations since the beginning of the twentieth century. Often, a criminal can be identified on the basis of fingerprints alone. The use of computer technology is also an important element in criminal investigations. Over the last two decades, policemen and detectives have discovered that computers help to make their work quicker and more reliable. During this period, there has also been an increase in the use of computers for the identification of fingerprints. Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems have been proven successful in terms of tracking down and stopping criminals. Because they are so successful, an increasing number of police departments are using Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems in their investigations.
Fingerprints are important in criminal investigations because they provide hard evidence in the courtroom. If fingerprints are found at a crime scene, they can later be used to accurately identify the person who committed the crime. This is because the fingerprints of each individual person "bear distinct and unique patterns of loops, swirls and arches." No two people have the exact same fingerprints. Therefore, the use of fingerprint evidence in the courtroom is "extremely persuasive." The first reported use of fingerprints in a criminal investigation occurred in Argentina in the year 1892. In that case, some blood-stained fingerprints at a murder scene were identified as belonging to a local woman. On the basis of this evidence against her, the woman was forced to confess that she had killed her own two sons.
Within a few years, scientists began developing more accurate methods for classifying fingerprints. By the early 1900's, each print was being classified according to its own characteristic pattern. In this way, the individual pattern of each fingerprint became a fool-proof guideline for tracking down criminals. ...