... examination service for serious, national and international cases, which include: international and organised crime and Flying Squad cases, drugs, fraud and terrorist cases. Identification using fingerprints is a fundamental tool in the fight against crime. The Fingerprint Bureau was established because fingerprints provide a reliable means of identifying people. The system is based on the fact that no two individuals have the same finger, palm or foot prints. These areas of the human body are covered by minute ridges which are frequently interrupted by endings and forks. These interruptions are known as characteristics. 2 Each person has a uniquely different distribution of characteristics. The characteristics develop in the womb and persist throughout life. The ridges generally form well-defined patterns that can be used for searching, filing and identification purposes. "In 1996 the metropolitan police merged with The Forensic Science Service (FSS), it is an executive agency of the Home Office and has ...

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