Establishment of a Local Fingerprint Identification Bureau
For the information and assistance of officials who desire to establish a local fingerprint identification bureau, the following suggestions are being made to indicate the principal materials necessary to equip such a bureau:
Fingerprinting equipment
For the purpose of taking fingerprints there should be a stand with a clamp for holding the fingerprint cards steady. This latter item is necessary to prevent smudging the prints. A tube of printer's ink is used. The ink is applied by a roller to a glass plate upon which the fingers are inked before being rolled on the cards. The complete equipment for the above process may be secured from a number of commercial sources or it can be made. Figure 408 depicts an inking stand.
[Fig. 408]
Fingerprint files
It is suggested that the fingerprint card be white, light cardboard, 8 by 8 inches, slightly glazed. This size is convenient, as it allows all the space necessary for recording the classification of the prints and general descriptive information concerning the individual. In the event the new bureau desires to contribute copies of its fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the latter will, upon request, gladly furnish fingerprint cards for the purpose together with envelopes and instructions on how to take fingerprints. It is suggested that the new bureau design its cards similar to those furnished by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as these have been designed after special study and have been found to be satisfactory over a long period of time. Figures 409 and 410 show the fingerprint side and reverse side of the criminal fingerprint card used by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
[Fig. 409]