Potential Use of Fingerprints in Forensic Intelligence : Crime Scene Linking.

Crime scene linking is a basic inference in criminal investigations. Links may be found when comparing all types of traces collected in different cases. The possibility of using fingermarks for crime scene linking has not been systematically explored yet. Two different sets of data have been used in order to explore the potential of fingermarks to link cases: the content of the Swiss AFIS system and data collected by a regional law enforcement agency (canton de Vaud, Switzerland). The aim of this study is to provide data that can be used to design a methodology of how fingermarks can be used in forensic case linking processes