Page 260 - Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems (AFIS)

CASE STUDY—DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH 245

examiners to cases created by examiners who were no longer immediately avail-
able to check their cases. Another suggestion might be to improve the screen
flow to make the transition from one screen entry field to another easier.
To meet the second objective, two meetings were held each year for man-
agers and supervisors at DCJS offices in Albany, New York. At these meetings,
senior DCJS staff under the direction of Deputy Commissioner Clyde DeWeese
provided background on recent changes to the identification technology and
responded to questions regarding the use of SAFIS from a manager’s perspec-
tive. These meetings provided a forum for latent print managers from differ-
ent agencies to discuss areas of mutual concern, as well as to consider alternative
methods of managing caseloads. For example, one manager might assign a case
to only one latent print examiner, while another might send the case to a
second latent print examiner if the first did not make the identification. Dif-
ferent latent print examiners use different techniques to search SAFIS. As they
were often told, the best method to search SAFIS was the method they felt most
comfortable with. But there may be other techniques to consider, such as
sending fewer cases to the unsolved latent file.
The third objective was to look for ways in which the enormous capabilities
of SAFIS could be used to make more identifications, for example, annually
providing a list of cases that would be removed from the unsolved latent file
following the statute of limitations, relaunching a case from the unsolved latent
file months or years after the first search, and using other search engines such
as the FBI Remote Fingerprint Editing Software (RFES) to search the IAFIS
with the same image used to search SAFIS. With the ability of SAFIS to search
the 25 million image records in minutes, the skill of the latent print examiner
could be concentrated on examining the candidates, not the mechanics of the
search.

10.3 REVIEW OF UL FILE PROCEDURES

The unsolved latent file became recognized as a valuable resource for making
identifications. Identifications from the unsolved latent file accounted for
between 15 and 20% of the approximately 1,000 latent print identifications
made annually across the state by latent print examiners using SAFIS. Report-
ing of latent print identifications was standardized to assure uniformity and con-
sistency throughout the agencies using SAFIS.
Although the unsolved latent file offers enormous opportunities for identi-
fications, it can also drain personnel resources. During training, examiners
were encouraged to enter into the UL file only those cases for which there
might be a reasonable chance of making an identification or cases that were
high profile. Since every latent print image characteristic is searched by every