NCJ Number
180921
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 26 Issue: 11 Dated: November 1999 Pages: 84-87
Date Published
November 1999
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Automated palmprint technology works like automated fingerprint identification systems and can aid investigations by allowing police officials to identify a suspect quickly and narrow the focus of their investigations.
Abstract
Criminals who now take greater care to avoid leaving fingerprints behind may be less cautious with their palmprints. Experts estimate that at least 30 percent of the latent print evidence recovered from crime scenes comes from the palm. Technology has evolved so that automated palmprint identification capabilities can complement the standard fingerprint technology. The 1,000 minutiae on the palm versus the 100 on a fingerprint accounts for the delay in developing the palmprint technology. The widespread use of palmprint technology could lead to solving thousands of additional crimes. Factors to consider before implementing palmprint technology include individual State laws, the need for a uniform palmprint card, and the development of a networked database. Case examples and photograph