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Oisterboy

That program you see on their computers where it has a suspects fingerprint or picture and its scanning through 1000's of possible matches real quick...

You guys think it really works like that?

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Testeagle

Really can't see why not, each input say a finger print would have a few key points which would easily be compared to a well organised database.

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SnOwBunZz

They do, but it's not as 'flashy' (eg flashing through 1000s of faces first before catching the right one) as on those shows.

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Murxidon

I know our beautiful Government and Police Force wanted to create some huge DNA database to keep us all in check. Knowing the UK as well as I don't, it would probably consist of a Visual Basic database or worse, something an outsourced startup company made in Microsoft Access using tutorials found on the internet.

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SgtGrimmVegas

It doesn't work as fast, the thing has to go through EVERY fingerprint they have ever entered into the database, sometimes it takes forever, sometimes you get an instant ping. Those shows that go for like a day or two on the show really take weeks to months for them to get any results.

Testeagle

Finger prints themselves are broken down into different groups, so when people say they are compare to every finger print they shouldn't be really, a computerized system should break them down into smaller sections quote "In the Henry system of classification, there are three basic fingerprint patterns: Loop, Whorl and Arch,[10] which constitute 60–65%, 30–35% and 5% of all fingerprints respectively.[11]" this would allow for computerized system to search faster.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fingerprint
"Classifying fingerprints

Before computerisation replaced manual filing systems in large fingerprint operations, manual fingerprint classification systems were used to categorize fingerprints based on general ridge formations (such as the presence or absence of circular patterns on various fingers), thus permitting filing and retrieval of paper records in large collections based on friction ridge patterns alone. The most popular ten-print classification systems include the Roscher system, the Juan Vucetich system, and the Henry Classification System. Of these systems, the Roscher system was developed in Germany and implemented in both Germany and Japan, the Vucetich system (developed by a Croatian-born Buenos Aires Police Officer) was developed in Argentina and implemented throughout South America, and the Henry system was developed in India and implemented in most English-speaking countries.[9]

In the Henry system of classification, there are three basic fingerprint patterns: Loop, Whorl and Arch,[10] which constitute 60–65%, 30–35% and 5% of all fingerprints respectively.[11] There are also more complex classification systems that break down patterns even further, into plain arches or tented arches,[9] and into loops that may be radial or ulnar, depending on the side of the hand the tail points towards. Whorls may also have sub-group classifications including plain whorls, accidental whorls, double loop whorls, peacock's eye, composite, and central pocket loop whorls.[9]

The system used by most experts, although complex, is similar to the Henry System of Classification. It consists of five fractions, in which R stands for right, L for left, i for index finger, m for middle finger, t for thumb, r for ring finger and p(pinky) for little finger. The fractions are as follows: Ri/Rt + Rr/Rm + Lt/Rp + Lm/Li + Lp/Lr. The numbers assigned to each print are based on whether or not they are whorls. A whorl in the first fraction is given a 16, the second an 8, the third a 4, the fourth a 2, and 0 to the last fraction. Arches and loops are assingned values of 0. Lastly, the numbers in the numerator and denominator are added up, using the scheme:

(Ri + Rr + Lt + Lm + Lp)/(Rt + Rm + Rp + Li + Lr)

and a 1 is added to both top and bottom, to exclude any possibility of division by zero. For example, if the right ring finger and the left index finger have whorls, the fractions would look like this:

0/0 + 8/0 + 0/0 + 0/2 + 0/0 + 1/1, and the calculation: (0 + 8 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 1)/(0 + 0 + 0 + 2 + 0 + 1) = 9/3 = 3.

Using this system reduces the number of prints that the print in question needs to be compared to. For example, the above set of prints would only need to be compared to other sets of fingerprints with a value of 3.[12]"

This is more of an example to show that even in a manual system they are broken down into smaller search areas.

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Paladuck

It doesn't take weeks or months. According to the FBI, who maintains the United States' fingerprint database (IAFIS), an average criminal query takes 10 minutes.

Like Testeagle said, fingerprint ID is based on a breakdown of your fingerprint into patterns and markers that match. However, the accuracy of fingerprints is much less than what is displayed on shows like CSI, because most prints found at a scene are partial latent prints, which can make comparison a little more difficult. The admissibility of fingerprint evidence in courts is a hotly debated issue, since juries often rely too much on fingerprint evidence as proof of guilt.

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