| Author | Message | ||
     Floyd Bowen |
I'm going to respond to an article I've just read in the Journal of Forensic Identification titled Emergency. In this article Mr. MORTON gives an opinion that law enforcement has overtaken the science of fingerprints and the credibility of the science has suffered. I am personally offended by this article first of all by being a member of law enforcement and second by being a latent print examiner who runs an AFIS terminal. What is he saying? That a law enforcement officers credibility is less that of a civilian. That being in law enforcement we are uncapable of being objective and unbiased. In the article he states over the years we have overtaken the science. When in fact over the years we have been on the fore front of the science. Did he ever hear of David Ashbaugh? Law enforcement member. He has only written the bible on latent print comparison. Mr. MORTON makes a statement "The law enforcement community seems to see fingerprint science as a tool to make arrests". Hello, Mr. MORTON you are an "AFIS Specialist"? You work for a Sheriff's Deparment. Of course we see fingerprint science as a tool, A Great Tool!! How are we supposed to see the it? Granted we need to have standards across the board for every examiner. But when we start pointing fingers and pitting officers against civilians you make people like Simon Cole very happy. Actually your article sounds a little like him. I can go on and on about this article but I don't want to bore you with it's contents. Thanks for the commentary Mr. MORTON, you're doing the fingerprint community a world of good. |
