Fingerprints on clothing a step closer

New ground breaking forensic techniques in the field of fingerprints could soon be introduced thanks to experts at the Scottish Police Services Authority (SPSA) and the University of Abertay Dundee.

The new research, unveiled on January 30, seeks to recover fingerprint ridge detail and impressions from fabrics – a technique that has up until now proved difficult. It is the first time in more than 30 years that fingerprints on fabrics have been a major focus for research and experts have already had a number of successes.

Paul Deacon, fingerprint unit manager at SPSA, said: “Fingerprints have been used as a means of identification for over 100 years, but recovering fingerprints from fabrics has always proven to be fairly difficult. We wanted to change that.  

“The research is still in its early stages but we are starting to see results. We have shown that fabrics with a high thread count are best for revealing a print and have recovered identifiable fingerprints on a number of fabrics including silk, nylon and polyester.”

A technique known as vacuum metal deposition (VMD), that uses gold and zinc to recover the fingerprint mark, is being investigated as part of the research project. VMD is a highly-sensitive technique already used to detect fingerprint marks on smooth surfaces such as carrier bags, plastics and glass.

The SPSA said that only 20 per cent of the public are classed as “good donors” for leaving fingerprints, which means that while the success rate is still low for recovering a full fingerprint, the researchers have had great success in revealing the shape of a handprint on a number of fabric types.

“Such an impression could help the police piece together a timeline of events and could be used to provide evidence in cases where someone was pushed, or grabbed, in a particular area of their clothing. For example, an impression of a palm print on the back of someone’s shirt might indicate they were pushed off a balcony, rather than jumped. Fingerprints left on fabric and other surfaces can leave DNA traces, so it can also help forensic scientists to visualise the best area to target on an item of clothing to recover DNA evidence,” added Mr Deacon.