Fingerprint development & imaging
Over the years HOSDB has published an array of techniques to develop fingerprints on exhibits retrieved from scenes of crime. We give advice on techniques, equipment and fingerprint laboratory design, with an emphasis on health and safety and best practice.
Fingerprint manual
HOSDB's Manual of Fingerprint Development Techniques is used in every police fingerprint laboratory in the UK and many abroad. Copies of the manual and its companion guide for scenes of crime, the Fingerprint Development Handbook, are supplied free of charge to all UK police forces. Other users are charged for copies, priced £100 and £10 respectively.
Fast imaging with IRIS
Photographing large numbers of developed fingerprints is time-consuming for police and often creates a bottleneck in the fingerprint identification process. To solve this problem, HOSDB designed IRIS, an Integrated Rapid Imaging System. This equipment captures and displays images on screen in less than one second and can be linked directly to NAFIS, the National Automated Fingerprint Identification System.
With a number of systems in operational use, IRIS has been shown to dramatically increase the productivity of fingerprint laboratories: one police force completely cleared their 19-week backlog within just two weeks of IRIS going live.
For further information contact Erin Wheeler:
telephone her on 01727 816454
email erin.wheeler7@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
