| The science of fingerprints is based on the
fact that no two fingerprints are the same. Fingerprints are developed
during the third month of gestation and remain unchanged, unless scaring
occurs, until after death. The Identification Section of the Polk County
Sheriff’s Office has two major functions:
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Identification
Technicians are responsible for ten print examinations through the use
of the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) to determine
if the individual arrested and booked into the Polk County Jail has
previous arrests, an active warrant or is providing false identifying
information to the arresting officer. The Identification Technicians are
also responsible for quality control and assuring the accuracy of the
PCSO Ten Print and Palm Print files.
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Latent Print Examiners
are responsible for the examination and comparison of latent
fingerprints and palm prints found at the scenes of crimes, to known
fingerprints and palm prints to establish identity. Latent prints are
those prints which are normally invisible and the identity of the person
who left them is unknown. The Latent Examiner is also responsible for
processing evidence for latent prints and the use of digital imaging,
photography and the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS)
during the examination and comparison process.
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| The Identification Section utilizes the AFIX
(an in house, County wide database that allows an examiner to search both
fingerprints and palm prints in it’s system), AFIS (a state wide system that
has a database of more than 5 million fingerprint cards) and the IAFIS,
which is the national database that has access to fingerprint files all over
the country. |
| These systems not only aid the Technicians and
Examiners in verifying the identity of inmates and searching latent prints,
they are valuable tools for identifying unknown homicide victims and for
assisting law enforcement in cases of identity theft. Both Identification Technicians and Latent
Print Examiners are called on to provide expert testimony in
court. |
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How does the AFIS
work? |
