FOR 2

• Criminalistics

  The application of the principles of various sciences in solving problems in connection with the administration of justice
• Criminalistics

  Also referred to as Forensic Science or Police Science
• Forensic

  Derived from the Latin word "Forum" which means a "market place", a place where people gathered for "public discussion"
• Forensic

  When used in conjunction with other sciences, it connotes the idea of application to law or for the administration of justice
• Dr. Hans Gross


  An Australian magistrate who described Search for Truth as the ultimate goal of all investigative and detective works. He is known as the Father of Modern Criminalistics.
• 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.
• Personalities

  • Nehemiah Grew (1684)
  • Govard Bidloo
  • Marcelo Malpighi (1628-1694)
  • J.C.A. Mayer (1788)
  • Johannes Purkinje (1823)
  • Herman Welcker
  • William Herschel
  • Rajyadhar Konai
  • Henry Faulds
  • Francis Galton
  • Edward Richard Henry
  • Khan Bahadur Azizul Haque
  • Rai Hem Chandra Bose
  • Juan Vucetich
• In America

  • Gilbert Thompson
  • Isaiah West Tabor
  • Samuel Langhorne Clemens
  • Dr. Henry P De Forest
  • Capt. James L. Parke
  • Sgt. John Kenneth Ferrier
  • Maj. R. Mc Cloughry
  • Mary K. Holand
  • FBI
  • Institute of Applied Science
  • People vs. Jennings, Dec. 21, 1911
• In the Philippines

  • Mr. Jones
  • Bureau of Prison
  • Generoso Reyes
  • Isabela Bernales
  • Capt. Thomas Dugan, New York Police Dept. and Flaviano Guerrero, FBI Washington
  • People of the Phils. Vs. Medina
  • Plaridel Education Institute (PEI) now known as Phil. College of Criminology
  • John Dellinger
  • Robert James Pitts
  • Lucila Lalu
  • Alphonse Bertillion
• Dermatoglyphics


  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

  • Individuality
  • Infallibility
  • Constancy or permanency
• Fingerprints


  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

  • Chiroscopy
  • Podoscopy
  • Poroscopy
• Components of the Friction Skin

  • Ridge surface
  • Ridge
  • Furrow
  • Sweat pores
  • Sweat duct
  • Sweat glands
• Poroscopy


  The scientific study of the arrangement of the sweat pores
• Phalange


  The skeletal finger covered with friction skin, made up of three bones
• Basal or proximal phalange

  • Located at the base of the finger nearest the palm
• Middle phalange


  • The next and above the basal bone
• 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

  Epidermal hairless skin found on the ventral or lower surface of the hands and feet covered with ridges and furrows
• Components of the Friction Skin

  • Ridge surface
  • Ridge
  • Furrow
  • Sweat pores
  • Sweat duct
  • Sweat glands
• Fundamental Layers of the Friction Skin

  • Epidermis
  • Stratum Corneum
  • Stratum mucosum
  • Dermis
• Ridge Formation

  Ridges start to form in the fingers and thumb during the 3rd to 4th months of the fetus life
• Dermal Papillae


  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

  Can be temporary (only epidermis layer damaged) or permanent (dermis layer damaged)
• General Rules on Ridge Destruction

  • Destruction of the Epidermis - temporary, Dermis - permanent damage
  • Cut depth of more than 1 mm will constitute permanent scar
• The Fingerprint Patterns

  • Arch (5%)
  • Loop (60%)
  • Whorl (35%)
• Plain Arch


  • Ridges flow from one side to the other side with a slight raise at the center
• Tented Arch


  • Has an angle, uptrust or an incomplete loop form
• Radial Loop

  • Slanting or looping ridge flows towards the thumb finger
• Ulnar Loop

  • Slanting or looping ridge flows towards the little finger
• Plain Whorl


  • At least one circuiting ridge is touched or crossed by the imaginary line traversing between the two deltas
• Central Pocket Loop Whorl

  • No circuiting ridge within the pattern area is touched or cross by an imaginary line drawn between the two deltas
• Double Loop Whorl

  • Two separate loop formations, two separate and distinct shoulders, two deltas
• Accidental Whorl

  • A combination of two different patterns with the exception of the plain arch, two deltas
• Ridge Characteristics (Galton Details)


  • Ridge Dot (island ridge)
  • Bifurcation
  • Converging Ridge
  • Diverging Ridge
  • Enclosure or Lake ridge
  • Ending ridge
  • Type lines
  • Pattern Area
  • Recurving ridge
  • Sufficient Recurve
  • Appendage
  • Rod or Bar
  • Obstruction ridge
• Delta


  A point along a ridge formation found at the center or near the center of the diverging type lines
• Core

  Usually found at the center or innermost recurve