Page 69 - Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems (AFIS)

54 AUTOMATED FINGERPRINT IDENTIFICATION SYSTEMS

and clothing common to men. Joyce and Jane, however, would be assumed to
appear different than Steve and Bill. In addition to the difference in primary
and secondary sex characteristics, they may be assumed to dress differently than
men and be physically smaller than their male counterparts. Without knowing
anything more, it is not unreasonable to assume that Juan Gonzales will look
different than his wife, Juanita Gonzales. Names themselves, then, provide
some information about a person that may be useful in helping to make an
identification.
In addition to sex and size, there are other features that may come to mind
with a particular name. It may provide an indication of someone’s skin color
or skin tone; height and weight might also be inferred from a name. These
assumptions, however, are often incorrect. Plus, some names are ambiguous. Is
Pat Francis, for example, a man or a woman? Does Pat trace an ancestry back
to England, Ireland, Scotland, or Wales, or perhaps to the continent? This
simply cannot be determined based on name alone; neither can someone’s age
be determined by their given and/or surname.
Any given name, however, is not unique to only one person. For example,
an examination of any telephone directory will show a large number of entries
for the surname Smith. Even with the surname Smith and the given name of
John, the number of entries is still quite lengthy. A rose may be a rose, but John
Smith may not be John Smith.
Names are given at birth, but can be (voluntarily) changed later in life.
People change their names for a variety of reasons. For example, marriage often
provides an avenue for a legal name change: Marie Pelletier becomes Mary
Nimick, i.e., Mrs. William Nimick. Just as people change their style of clothing,
they may change their name, to adopt a new persona, a stage name, or a nom
de plume, the writer’s name. Names also may change when used in different
languages. Frederick, for example, becomes Frederic in French.

3.2 IDENTIFICATION DOCUMENTS

Names provide only a casual identifier. In many situations, a person’s name is
a sufficient identifier that can be recognized by another party; most will believe
that the name is authentic. But when an additional degree of information is
required, a form of documentation, such as a driver’s license or passport, can
be used. These forms of identification are improvements over one’s name alone
because they provide a unique identification number (i.e., the driver’s license
number or the passport number). They are issued by a government agency that
has created specific requirements for their issuance.
Not all government-issued documents are equally reliable as forms of
personal identification. A library card, for example, is issued by an agency of