Identification: Fingerprints a Key Identification Parameter – Detection, Identification, and Interpretation

Fingerprints have been used for human identification in criminal investigation for over 100 years. The detection of invisible or latent marks at crime scenes has been one of the great scientific challenges in forensic science and there have been considerable advances in this capability. The technological age and increasing power of computing has had a major influence on fingerprint identification providing the capacity to search large databases and provide rapid identification of persons of interest. This chapter discusses the important contribution of fingerprints to criminal investigation.