Criminalistics

= Is the application of the principles of various sciences in solving problems in connection with the
administration of justice.
= Also referred to as Forensic Science or Police Science.
The word forensic was derived from the Latin word “Forum” which means a “market place”, a
place where people gathered for “public discussion” . When it is used in conjunction with other
sciences it simply connotes the idea of application to law or for the administration of justice.
Sometimes it is also referred to as “legal”.
Dr. Hans Gross = An Australian magistrate to described Search for Truth as the ultimate goal of all
investigative and detective works. He is known as the Father of Modern Criminalistics.
A. PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION
“Law of Multiplicity of Evidence” The greater number of similarities or dissimilarities; the greater
is the probability for the conclusion to be correct.
Alphonse Bertillion = Father of Personal Identification. The first to devise a scientific method of
identification called Anthropometry.
A fingerprint was first used in China before the birth of Christianity. They called it Hua Chi.
I. Personalities in Fingerprints:
1. Nehemiah Grew (1684) – describes the ridges and pores of the hands and feet (Philosophical
Transaction) presented in Royal Society of London, England.
2. Govard . Bibloo – works on the sweat pores and ridges.
3. Marcelo Malpighi (1628-1694) – Professor at the University of Bolognia, Italy, known for his
discovery of the Epidermis and Dermis layer. Written the book entitled “De Externo Tactus Organo”
Father of Dactyloscopy.
4. J.C.A. Mayer (1788) – the first to state that fingerprints are never duplicated in two persons
( Anatomiche Kuphertafeln).
5. Johannes Purkenjie (1823) – Professor at the University of Breslau, Germany. Established a
certain role for classification and be able to identify nine (9) types of pattern although never
associated to identification
6. Herman Welcker – took his own fingerprints twice with a lapse of forty-one years and show the
ridges formation remains the same.
7. William Herschel – the first to advocate the use of fingerprints as substitute for signature from
among Indian native to avoid impersonation.

Rajadhar Konai = the first person Herschel printed the palm.

8. Henry Faulds – A surgeoon at Tsukuji Hospital, Tokyo, Japan, who claimed that latent prints
would provide positive identification of offenders once apprehended ( A Manual of Practical
Dactyloscopy).
9. Francis Galton – Developed the Arch. Loop and Whorl Patterns as general classification and
identified nine (9) types of pattern. First to establish a Civil Bureau of Personal Identification. He
said that the possibility of two prints being alike was 1:65,000,000,000.
10. Edward Richard Henry – Developed the Henry System of Classification at Scotland Yard which
was accepted by almost all English-speaking country. Known as Father of Fingerprint.

Khan Bahadur Azizul Haque and Rai Hem Chandra Bose – the two Hindu police officers who have
help Henry in attaining his goal.
11. Juan Vucetich – A Spanish counterpart of Henry who developed his own system of classification
in Argentina and was accepted in almost all Spanish Speaking country.

IN AMERICA
Gilbert Thompson = a geologist in New Mexico, adopted the first individual use of fingerprint in
august 8, 1882 as a protection to prevent tampering with the pay order.
Isaiah West Tabor = Photographer in San Francisco who advocated the use of the system for the
registration of the immigrant Chinese.
Samuel Langhorne Clemens = An Englishman who informally introduced Dactyloscopy in the United
States in his book “ Life in the Mississippi” and “ Pupp n Head Wilson”.
Francis Galton
Dr. Henry p De Forest = Utilized the first Municipal Civil use of fingerprint for Criminal Registration
on December 1902 (Mun. Civil Service Comm., New York).
Capt. James L. Parke = Advocate the first state and penal use of fingerprint adopted in SingSing
prison on June 5, 1903 later on Auburn Napanoch and Clinton Penitentiaries.
Sgt. John Kenneth Ferrier = First fingerprint instructor at St. Louis Police Dept. Missouri.
Maj. R. Mc Cloughry = warden of the Federal Penitentiaries of Leaven Worth. Established the first
official National Government use of fingerpprint.
Mary K. Holand = first American instructress in dactyloscopy.
FBI = identification unit herein was officially established by an act of congress in 1924.
Institute of Applied Science = First private school to install laboratories for instruction purposes in
dactyloscopy.
People vs. Jennings, Dec. 21, 1911 = United States leading case wherein the first conviction based
on fingerprint was recognized by the judicial authorities (14 points).
IN THE PHILIPPINES
Mr. Jones = one who first taught FP in the Phils. (1900)
Bureau of Prison = (1968) CARPETAS fingerprint was used.
Generoso Reyes – First Filipino Fingerprint Technician employed by P.C.
Isabela Bernales – first Filipina Fingerprint Technician
Capt. Thomas Dugan, New York Police Dept. and Flaviano Guerrero, FBI Washington – gave the
first examination in FP in 1927 and Agustin Patricio of the Phils. Top the Examination
People of the Phils. Vs. Medina- First conviction base on Fingerprint and leading case decision in
the Phil. Jurisprudence (10 points).
Plaridel Education Institute (PEI) now known as Phil. College of Criminology, first government
recognized school to teach the Science of Fingerprint and other Police Sciences.
John Dellinger – known U.S. public enemy number one who attempt to destroy his own prints using
corrosive acids.
Robert James Pitts – works on Surgery to forged his own fingerprints and was named “Man without
fingerprint”
Lucila Lalu – the first Filipina Chop-chop lady who was identified through fingerprint.
Alphonse Bertillion – known as the Father of the first scientific method of Identification
(Anthropometry)
DACTYLOSCOPY
Definition
Dactyloscopy – (derived from the Latin words Dactyl = finger and Skopien – to study or examine) is
the practical application of the science of fingerprints.
Dactylography – is the scientific study of fingerprint as a means of identification.
Dactylomancy – is the scientific study of fingerprint for purposes of personality interpretation.
Dermatoglyphics = is the science which deals with the study of skin pattern. It is derived from two
Greek words, Derma which means Skin and Glype which means Carve.
Basic Principles of Fingerprint
1. Individuality

No two persons have the same fingerprint (based on Statistic Probability)

2. Infallibility

That fingerprint is a positive and reliable means of identification. It cannot be easily be forged.
3. Constancy or permanency

That the friction ridge once fully developed its arrangement will remains the same throughout man’s
life.
Fingerprints
Is an impression design by the first joint of the fingers and thumb on smooth surface through the
media of ink, sweat or any substance capable of producing visibility.
Related Sciences to the Study of Fingerprint:
1. Chiroscopy – ( Greek word “ Cheir” – a hand, “Skopien” –to examine) is the science which deals
with the study of the prints of the palms of the hand.
2. Podoscopy – ( Greek word “Podo” – the foot, and Skopien – to examine)is the science which
deals with the study of the footprints.
3. Poroscopy – (Greek word “poros” – a pare, and “Skopien” – to examine) is the scientific study of
the arrangement of the sweat pores. (Edmond Locard- Father of Poroscopy)

Phalange = is the skeletal finger covered with friction skin. It is made up of three bones.
a. Basal or proximal phalange – it is located at the base of the finger nearest the palm.
b. Middle phalange = the next and above the basal done.
c. Terminal phalange = the particular bone covered with friction skin, having all the different types of
fingerprint patterns and it is located near the tip of the finger.

Friction Skin – is an epidermal hairless skin found on the ventral or lower surface of the hands
and feet covered with ridges and furrows.(Also called as Papillary skin).
Components of the Friction Skin
1. Ridge surface
a. Ridge – the elevated or hill like structure/ the black lines with tiny white dots.

b. Furrow – the depressed or canal like structure/ the white space between ridges.
2. Sweat pores – the tiny opening/ the tiny white dots.
3. Sweat duct – the passage way.
4. Sweat glands – the producers of sweat.

Fundamental Layers of the Friction Skin

1. Epidermis – the outermost layer
a. Stratum Corneum,
b. Stratum mucosum
2. Dermis – the inner layer containing the blood vessel, dermal papillae, various glands and nerves.

Ridge Formation – (Ridges starts to form in the fingers and thumb during the 3rd to 4th months of
the fetus life.)
Dermal Papillae = are irregular pegs composed of delicate connective tissue protruding and
forming the ridges of the skin on the fingers, palms, toes and soles of the feet.
Ridge Destruction – destruction of the friction skin can either be temporary or permanent.
Generally temporary destruction occur when only the epidermis layer of the friction skin has been
damage, while permanent damage can be injected to the friction skin due to damage to the dermis
layer.
General Rules on Ridge Destruction
a. Destruction of the Epidermis – temporary, dermis – permanent damage.
b. Cut == a depth of more than 1 mm will constitute permanent scar.

The Two Fingerprint Terminus (Focal Points)

1. The Delta (also called the outer terminus) is a point along a ridge formation found at the center
or near the center of the diverging type lines.
2. The Core (also known as the heart or the inner terminus) usually found at the center or
innermost recurve.

Types of fingerprint impression

1. Rolled Impression – are fingerprint impression taken individually by rolling each finger from one
side to the other side and from the tip to the end of the first joint.
2. Plain Impression – are impression made by simultaneously pressing the finger to the card, use as
a reference to classification.
Basic Instrument in taking prints:
1. Ink Slab – is a metallic or glass plate where the ink is spread for purpose
2. Ink Roller – is a rubber made roller designed to spread the fingeprint ink to the slab.
3. Fingerprint Ink – is a special form of ink designed for taking fingerprint impression sometimes
submitted with a printer’s ink.
4. Fingerprint card – is an 8” x 8” card designed for recording fingerprint impression
5. Card holder – usually a fixed card holder placed in a flat table designed to prevent the movement
of the card in the course of the taking of the fingerprint.

Basic Rule in taking Fingerprints:

1. Subject should be instructed to stand straight but relax facing the slab.
2. The subject hand should be completely dry
3. Thumb fingers are rolled towards the body while other fingers are rolled away from the body.