Description
Many Notaries Public have expressed an interest in adding fingerprinting to the services they offer. Notary journal thumbprint requirements in California and a growing use of fingerprinting as a fraud deterrent in other states have fed this interest. Yet many people, unfortunately, don't know how to begin; their closest experience is watching fingerprinting on a television police show.
Who requires fingerprints to be taken? What kind of equipment is needed? Who is authorized to take fingerprints? Is a license required? What kinds of forms are used?
Subsequent chapters discuss the science of fingerprinting from a layperson's viewpoint. Informat is provided on "reading" and classifying prints, effectively demystifying the arrangement of "loops" and "whorls." It is shown how computers are useful for fingerprints and the ability of law enforcement and other agencies to catalog and match prints. There is also a question-and-answer session with Fran Walker, Director of Fingerprinting for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. The use of fingerprints as a means to deter crime, detect criminals and identify victims of accidents and child abduction is detailed. The real heart of this book, however, is Part III enhancing the
How To Take Fingerprints. This section describes the various types of equipment, their uses, and the advantages and disadvantages of each. It discusses in detail the physical process of taking fingerprints, from the recommended height of the surface to the type of ink or other chemical solution to be used. Because human error is inevitable, the proper way to correct errors on a fingerprint card is shown. And because preventing errors is preferable, common causes of poor quality prints are given, along with ways to avoid them.
ISBN:0933134878
