Latest News

Seventh Issue of Emerge Published

Emerge is the regular update for policing and the wider criminal justice community on the work of the SPSA. Emerge is now presented in new interactive PDF format.

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Plans unveilled to speed up forensic support for Scottish police

SPSA Forensic Services has today published proposals to improve the speed, consistency, and cost effectiveness of forensic analysis in Scotland.

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Scots Police Training Revamp puts Emphasis on Hands-On Experience

Scotland’s new police recruits are to complete their formal training faster, and experience more operational time on the streets as part of the largest shake up of probationer training in recent years.

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Fingerprints

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Fingerprints have been used as a means of identification for over 100 years and are unique to every individual.

Fingerprints are made up of an intricate system of ridges which creates an uneven surface on the palms of the hand and soles of the feet. It's the arrangement of the ridges and their certain unique properties which a fingerprint expert will use to make the identification.

This section will help you to understand how fingerprints develop and the process in which a fingerprint expert identifies a print.