Fingerprints And Firearms

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Finger Prints and Firearms Advances in Fingerprinting The discovery that each individual has a unique set of fingerprints and the evolution of technology changed the entire criminal justice system by providing a proof positive means of identification. Before fingerprints were used as evidence, there was no proof positive way to identify and convict criminals. In 1870 by Alphonse Bertillon when he discovered that every person had a individual fingerprints, it gave the criminal justice system a effective tool for identifying individuals. Fingerprinting was accepted world wide as a method of criminal investigation and the first systematic use of fingerprints in the U.S. by the New York Civil Service Commission for Testing by Dr. Henry P. DeForrest in 1902. Traditional methods for obtaining fingerprints, which involve powders, liquids or vapors, can destroy the print for further analysis. A new technique called the MXRF, uses X-rays to detect salts from a person's sweat. If there are enough of these salty residues, a fingerprint can be identified without altering the sample. The alternative could prove advantageous in taking prints from certain difficult substances, like paper, wood, leather, plastic, and even human skin. It may also be useful in obtaining fingerprints from children, who have less oil on their skin. This method does little or no damage to the piece of evidence, so that investigators can perform more tests in the future, as well as archive the print with other law enforcement agencies for future reference prints. In addition to revealing fingerprints, this method can allow for the detection of other elements. For example, a high concentration of sulfur might be evidence for gunpowder. Firearms Prior to the 1900's observations of physical matching and caliber determination from an

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