A must-read for anyone interested in law enforcement, detective work, or forensic science, this is the FBI's own handbook on fingerprinting procedure and the science behind it. It explores every aspect of the process, from the Bureau's first use of the method in 1924 to the uses, techniques, and problems with using fingerprints as an identification tool for criminal suspects today. Along with detailed explanations and descriptions, there are informative photographs and charts that illustrate how the many types of fingerprints are classified, what the tools used for fingerprinting are, and how the millions of on-record prints are filed at the FBI.