Fingerprint as a tool for identification: a descriptive study

Abstract

The recognition of impressions of the fingers left at a crime scene establish the identity of the criminal. Fingerprints retrieved from the  crime scene can be analysed and compared to be used to create a relationship between the crime with the criminals. This paper has  aimed to find out the variation of the same patterns of the fingerprint concerning fingers between male and female. It was a cross sectional descriptive study. The analysis was done by SPSS 20.0 package for windows. Ethical clearance was taken before the  collection of the data. Overall, the Whorl pattern of the fingerprint was to be the most common (44.8%) followed by Loop (35.4%),  Arch (12.5%) and Composite (7.3%). The Whorl pattern of the fingerprint was also the most common print comprising 4 (8.9%),  followed by Loop 2(4.4%) among the same fingerprint pattern in all five fingers. In the same fingerprint pattern in all four fingers  category, it was the Loop pattern of comprising 5 (11.1%), followed by Whorl 4(8.9%). The Arch and Composite pattern of the  fingerprint was the most common print containing 4(8.9%), followed by Loop and Whorl 3 (6.7%) among the three same fingerprint  pattern categories. In the same fingerprint pattern in all two fingers category, the Whorl pattern of the fingerprint was the most  common print comprising 7 (15.6%), followed by Arch 5 (11.1%) and Loop 4 (8.9%). The same fingerprint pattern in different finger  groups can be analysed and compared to establish an identity of an individual.