380AEW Article

Dusting for prints, keeping skills sharp

Tech. Sgt. Kathy Trim, 380th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, dusts a glass for prints at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia, April 11. The dusting was done for practice and gave a chance for Sergeant Trim to keep her skills sharp and ready if needed. Sergeant Trim is deployed from McGuire AFB and hails from Bay City, Texas. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Brian J. Ellis) (Released)

Dusting for prints, keeping skills sharp

Tech. Sgt. Kathy Trim, 380th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, lifts finger prints from a glass at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia, April 11. Once the finger prints are lifted from the glass, they are sent to a lab to be cross referenced with any possible suspects. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Brian J. Ellis) (Released)

Dusting for prints, keeping skills sharp

A "suspect" gets finger printed during a mock investigation at the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia, April 11. Prints were taken from a glass and will be matched against the ones taken of the suspect to determine who was involved with the crime. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Brian J. Ellis) (Released)

Practice keeps investigative skills sharp

Published April 24, 2009
By Staff Sgt. Mike Andriacco
380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Practicing skills and maintaining job proficiency are key factors in accomplishing the mission on a day-to-day basis.

Recently, Tech. Sgt. Kathy Trim from the 380th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron here was able to practice and demonstrate fingerprinting skills in a mock crime scene scenario.

Not all security forces members in the Air Force attend the training required to collect fingerprints from a crime scene that are admissible in court.

"Only security forces Airmen who attend Military Police Investigator School will receive the training," said Sergeant Trim. "Only trained investigators will collect and preserve latent prints, but other function in the security forces career field can print individuals."

An investigator may be called to collect prints in a variety of crime scenes such as housebreakings or drug cases. The prints are used to establish a suspect's presence at the scene or to rule out possible suspects. In order to be used in court, the latent print samples must meet strict criteria and proper collection is critical.

"It takes skill and patience to locate, dust, and then lift an identifiable finger print," Sergeant Trim said. "It is easy to smudge a latent print during the collection process. A smudged print provides no evidential value [would be inadmissible in court]."

For the purposes of the exercise, a crime scene was constructed to simulate a break-in to a government facility. Fingerprint evidence was left behind and Sergeant Trim was able to lift several latent prints and was able to use them to single out and identify a suspect. Case closed.