Page 48 - Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems (AFIS)

HISTOR Y OF AUTOMATED FINGERPRINT IDENTIFICATION SYSTEMS 33

of fingerprint cards taken by local departments. The beginning of a national
fingerprint database was being developed. And as the number of fingerprint
records grew, so did the need for a national repository for these fingerprint
cards. In 1924, Congress issued a mandate to collect identification and crimi-
nal records and created the federal Identification Bureau. Records from Leav-
enworth and the National Bureau of Identification formed the nucleus of this
new identification bureau. A national database of fingerprint records in a
federal agency was finally underway.

2.3 FINGERPRINT (TENPRINT) CARDS

The FBI established standards early on for the ink and the paper stock used for
the tenprint records. The high-quality printer’s ink assured a consistency that
would provide uniformity in the inked impression. The quality of the card stock
ensured that the tenprint record would survive the extensive handling, such as
being inserted and removed from a filing cabinet numerous times, inherent in
a card search. Supervisors could not afford to misplace or damage a card. In
many cases, they were the only tenprint record in the subject file and so were
irreplaceable.
Most law enforcement agencies would take three sets of prints at booking.
These three cards were nearly identical in format. One set of 14 images would
be sent to the FBI for a search of their files. If the fingerprint had been taken
for a criminal matter, the FBI retained a copy. If the search was for a civil appli-
cation, such as a security check, the card was returned to the booking agency
after the FBI search.
Another tenprint card would be sent to the state identification bureau for a
search against state records. If the booking agency had to rely on the mail to
send the card and receive the results, this process could be quite lengthy. The
introduction of fax machines greatly improved response time. The third card
would remain in the department for insertion into its records. Although the
FBI card was distinct from the local and state cards in color and field format,
the state and local cards might be identical in form. It was not unusual for the
booking officer to keep the better of the two cards at the local department and
send the other card to the state bureau.
The FBI maintained image quality standards for accepting records to be
added to the FBI criminal record file. If a criminal tenprint record did not meet
the quality criteria, it would be returned to the booking agency. This policy was
also adopted at many other identification bureaus. This could cause problems
for the booking agency due to the length of time needed to send and receive
information by mail. By the time the agency received the FBI’s notification that
a tenprint record was not acceptable, the subject might no longer be in custody