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Evidence analysis and processing

Forensic Biology & DNA

Event Dates
Location
Online
Event Type
Symposium
Registration Status
Open

Firearms

Event Dates
Location
Online
Event Type
Webinar
Registration Status
Open

TECHBeat, January 2016

NCJ Number
249676
Journal
Date Published
January 2016
Agencies
NIJ-Sponsored
Publication Type
Technical Assistance, Report (Technical), Report (Technical Assistance), Program/Project Description

How Reliable Are Latent Fingerprint Examiners?

September 2015

Brian Cerchiai discusses a NIJ-supported a study conducted by the Miami-Dade Police Department on the accuracy of fingerprint examiners. The study found that fingerprint examiners make extremely few errors. Even when examiners did not get an independent second opinion about their decisions, they were remarkably accurate. But when decisions were verified by an independent reviewers, examiners had a 0% false positive, or incorrect identification, rate and a 3% false negative, or missed identification, rate.