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Friction Ridge Subcommittee
The Friction Ridge Subcommittee focuses on standards and guidelines related to the forensic examination of friction ridge detail from the hands and feet.
Officers | Members | Standards | Discipline-Specific Baseline Documents | Research & Development Needs | Presentations
Officers
Henry Swofford, Subcommittee Chair, HJS Consulting, LLC
Joshua Connelly, Subcommittee Vice Chair, Douglas County Sheriff's Office (Nebraska)
Carey Hall, Subcommittee Executive Secretary, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension
Members
John Black, Black & White Forensics, LLC
Claudine Carter Pereira, Broward Sheriff's Office (Quality Representative)
Jessica Cino Gabel, Georgia State University College of Law (Legal Representative)
Simon Cole, Ph.D., University of California
Maria Cuellar, University of Pennsylvania (Statistics Representative)
Heidi Eldridge, RTI International
Ed German, Macon County Sheriff's Office
Kalisha Gill, Defense Forensic Science Center
Nova Grilli, Charleston Police Department
Mandi Hornickel, Illinois State Police
Karen Johnson, Federal Bureau of Investigation
Sharon Kelley, University of Virginia (Human Factors Representative)
Andrew Pacejka, Utah Bureau of Forensic Services
Eric Ray, IDEMIA
Noberto Rivera, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
Elizabeth Small, Federal Bureau of Investigation
Christine VanAndel, Nebraska State Patrol
Roadmap of Documents
Standards
Tier 1: On the OSAC Registry
- None currently.
Tier 2: Published by a Standards Developing Organization (SDO)
- None currently.
Tier 3: Sent to an SDO
- Best Practice Recommendation for Articulating a Source Identification in Friction Ridge Examination.
- Standard for Friction Ridge Examination Conclusions.
- Standard for Friction Ridge Examination Training Program.
- Best Practice Recommendation for the Resolution of Conflicts in Friction Ridge Examination.
- Best Practice Recommendations for Technical Review in Friction Ridge Identification.
- Best Practice Recommendations for the Verification Component in Friction Ridge Examination.
- Standard for Consultation During Friction Ridge Examination.
- Standard for Reporting Results from Friction Ridge Examinations.
- Best Practice Recommendation for Analysis of Friction Ridge Impressions.
- Best Practice Recommendation for Comparison and Evaluation of Friction Ridge Impressions.
- Best Practice Recommendation for Testimony Monitoring.
- Standard for Examining Friction Ridge Impressions.
Tier 4: Under Development
- Automated Biometric Identification Systems Best Practices.
- Terminology Related to Friction Ridge Examination.
- Standard for Friction Ridge Examination Proficiency Testing Program.
- Method Validation.
- Performance Checks.
- Best Practice Recommendation for Limited Examinations.
- Standard for Feature Selection.
Discipline-Specific Baseline Documents
The Forensic Science Standards Board (FSSB) has provided the opportunity for OSAC subcommittees to identify baseline documents and reference materials that best reflect the current state of the practice within their respective disciplines.
These documents contain practical information regarding these disciplines that can help forensic scientists, judges, lawyers, researchers, other interested parties and the general public, to better understand the nature, scope, and foundations of the individual disciplines as they are currently practiced.
It is important to note that the identification of these documents in this venue does not represent an endorsement by OSAC or NIST. Only documents that are posted on the OSAC Registry constitute OSAC endorsement. All copyrights for these documents are reserved by their owners. Subcommittee position statements or responses to data collections by the subcommittee represent the consensus opinion of the subcommittee, not necessarily the position of the entire OSAC organization or NIST.
Process Map:
- Friction Ridge Process Map (December 2019).
Responses:
- OSAC Friction Ridge Subcommittee's Response to the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology's (PCAST) Request for Additional References - Submitted December 14, 2016.
- OSAC Friction Ridge Subcommittee's Response to the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology's (PCAST) Request for Information – Submitted December 2015.
SWGFAST Documents:
- SWGFAST Position Statement on the Role of AFIS Ranks and Scores and the ACE-V Process.
- SWGFAST Guideline for the Articulation of the Decision-Making Process for the Individualization in Friction Ridge Examination (Latent/Tenprint).
- SWGFAST Standard Friction Ridge Automation Training (Latent/Tenprint).
- SWGFAST Standard for the Application of Blind Verification of Friction Ridge Examinations (Latent/Tenprint).
- SWGFAST Recommendations for Competency Testing of Noncertified Latent Print Examiners (Latent) Position Statement.
- SWGFAST Standard for Consultation (Latent/Tenprint).
- SWGFAST Standards for Examining Friction Ridge Impressions and Resulting Conclusions (Latent/Tenprint).
- SWGFAST Standards for Examining Friction Ridge Impressions and Resulting Conclusions (Latent/Tenprint) Draft for Comment.
- SWGFAST A Model Policy for Friction Ridge Examiner Professional Conduct (Latent/Tenprint).
- SWGFAST Standards for Minimum Qualifications and Training to Competency for Friction Ridge Examiner Trainees (Latent/Tenprint).
- SWGFAST Standard for a Quality Assurance Program in Friction Ridge Examinations (Latent/Tenprint).
- SWGFAST Standard for the Definition and Measurement of Rates of Errors and Non-Consensus Decisions in Friction Ridge Examination (Latent/Tenprint).
- SWGFAST Standard for Simultaneous Impression Examination (Latent).
- SWGFAST Standard for Friction Ridge Impression Digital Imaging (Latent/Tenprint).
- SWGFAST Standard for Reporting Friction Ridge Examinations (Latent/Tenprint).
- SWGFAST Standard for the Documentation of Analysis, Comparison, Evaluation, and Verification (ACE-V) (Latent).
- SWGFAST Standard for the Documentation of Analysis, Comparison, Evaluation, and Verification (ACE-V) in Tenprint Operations (Tenprint).
- SWGFAST Standard for Friction Ridge Comparison Proficiency Testing Program (Latent/Tenprint).
- SWGFAST Standard for the Review of Testimony of Friction Ridge Examiners (Latent/Tenprint).
- SWGFAST Standard Terminology of Friction Ridge Examination (Latent/Tenprint).
- SWGFAST Standard for the Technical Review of Friction Ridge Examinations (Latent/Tenprint).
- SWGFAST Uniform Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) Feature Symbols Position Statement (Latent/Tenprint).
- SWGFAST Standard for the Validation and Performance Review of Friction Ridge Impression Development and Examination Techniques (Latent/Tenprint).
Research & Development Needs
- See the research and development needs identified by the Friction Ridge Subcommittee.
Presentations
- Friction Ridge Subcommittee, SAC Physics/Pattern Updates at the International Association for Identification Conference, August 2019.
- OSAC Friction Ridge Subcommittee at OFIA-TPS Conference, May 30, 2019.
- Friction Ridge Subcommittee, SAC Physics/Pattern Update - Habeas Assistance and Training Counsel Project, Eighth National Seminar on Forensic Evidence and the Criminal Law “Fingerprint Evidence", April 27, 2019.
- OSAC Friction Ridge Subcommittee at the International Association for Identification Conference, August 2018.