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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Further Analysis

The final aspect of analysis to be considered are the anatomical features within the unknown mark.

Ridge Flow and Pattern

The fingerprint expert will then analyse the print in more detail looking at the actual flow of the ridges to determine if there is any discernable pattern type.

Digit Determination

They will consider any clues in the print that may indicate which finger, thumb or area of palm that could have left the impression. Pattern and digit determination allow the expert to prioritise those fingerprints to be compared.

Features

The expert will also look at the quality and clarity of the unique features and characteristics that are revealed in the print.

Quality and Clarity

At the conclusion of the analysis stage the fingerprint expert will have made a decision as to the suitability of the print for further examination.