What database do police use for fingerprints?

Nearly all police departments now have access to a local or state automated fingerprint identification system (AFIS), an electronic database of criminal suspect fingerprints collected over many years.

How do fingerprints get matched?

To match a print, the analyst uses the minutiae, or ridge characteristics, to identify specific points on a suspect fingerprint with the same information in a known fingerprint. If enough details correlate, the fingerprints are determined to be from the same person.

What is the name of the database investigators would use to search for a match for the prints?

28. What is a partial match at NDIS?

WHAT IS fingerprint matching?

A fingerprint matching algorithm compares two given fingerprints and returns either a degree of similarity (without loss of generality, a score between 0 and 1) or a binary decision (mated/non-mated).

What surfaces can you get fingerprints from?

Patent prints can be found on a wide variety of surfaces: smooth or rough, porous (such as paper, cloth or wood) or nonporous (such as metal, glass or plastic). Latent prints are formed when the body’s natural oils and sweat on the skin are deposited onto another surface.

What is a fingerprint database?

The Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS), is a computerized system maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) since 1999. These agencies acquire the fingerprints through criminal arrests or from non-criminal sources, such as employment background checks and the US-VISIT program.