Proficiency Testing & Error Rates in Fingerprint Analysis

These flashcards cover key points on proficiency testing, error-rate research, major studies (Dror 2006, Langenburg 2015, FBI/Noblis 2011), legal standards (Daubert), and the Troop C fingerprint fabrication case, helping students review critical concepts for FRSC 4210.

Where do Ontario Forensic Identification Officers (FIOs) receive their initial 9-week training?

At either the Ontario Police College (OPC) in Aylmer or the Canadian Police College (CPC) in Ottawa.

How often must Ontario FIOs recertify after their initial training?

Every three years.

Which agency runs a 5-hour proficiency test focused on casework examinations for its FIOs every two years?

The RCMP.

What is the primary format of the OPC recertification test?

It is a 3-hour, primarily question-based exam with no hands-on component.

What four items must candidates submit for the CPC Expert Witness Testimony course?

A real fingerprint case with an identification, a written report, a curriculum vitae (CV), and completion of a mock trial.

In fingerprint terminology, what is a "false positive identification"?

Reporting that an individual is the source of a print when they are not.

In fingerprint terminology, what is a "false negative exclusion"?

Reporting that an individual is NOT the source of a print when they actually are.

Why should error-rate studies be used, according to CanFRWG (2019-11-20)?

To validate or invalidate a discipline, rather than to estimate a real-world error rate.

What critical mistake was made in the Miami-Dade fingerprint study’s error-rate calculation?

It incorrectly stated a 5.6 % false positive rate (1 in 18) due to improper calculation.

Define "ground truth" in the context of fingerprint error-rate studies.

Information known to be true by direct observation and measurement, not by inference.

What did the 2006 Dror, Charlton & Péron study investigate?

Whether contextual information can bias fingerprint experts’ identification decisions.

In the Dror (2006) study, what percentage of examiners changed their original identification under biasing context?

80 % (4 out of 5 examiners).

What major limitation was noted for the Dror (2006) contextual bias experiment?

A very small sample size—only five participants.

What verification practice is typically omitted for exclusions and inconclusive decisions, according to Langenburg et al. (2015)?

Blind or even non-blind verification is often omitted due to limited resources.

How can AFIS searching tools help reduce examiner errors, per the 2015 study?

By re-searching exclusion and inconclusive decisions to catch erroneous exclusions.

Across multiple studies, what is the approximate false positive error rate for fingerprint examiners?

Less than 1 %.

What range of false negative (erroneous exclusion) rates has been observed in studies?

Approximately 2.2 % to 7.9 %.

How many fingerprint examiners participated in the 2011 FBI/Noblis Black Box study?

169 examiners.

In the FBI/Noblis study, how many fingerprint pairs did each examiner compare?

100 latent–exemplar pairs randomly assigned from a pool of 744.

What false positive rate did the FBI/Noblis Black Box study report?

0.1 % (about 1 wrong ID per 1,000 identifications).

What false negative rate (erroneous exclusion) did the FBI/Noblis study find?

7.5 %.

Which 1993 U.S. Supreme Court case established factors for admitting scientific testimony, influencing the Black Box study’s relevance?

Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals.

Name two of the five Daubert standard factors judges may consider.

Any two of: (1) Testability, (2) Peer review/publication, (3) Known or potential error rate, (4) Standards controlling its operation, (5) General acceptance in the scientific community.

What distinction did United States v. Mitchell (2004) urge prosecutors to make regarding error rates?

To present practitioner (individual examiner) error rates rather than discipline-wide error rates.

What is a ‘black box’ study in forensic science?

A study measuring the accuracy of examiner conclusions without examining how the conclusions are reached.

Where and when did the Troop C fingerprint fabrication scandal occur?

New York State Police, Troop C, in Sidney, NY, between 1984 and 1992.

How was the Troop C fingerprint fabrication discovered?

A trooper admitted the practice during a CIA job interview.

List one new procedural safeguard implemented after the Troop C scandal.

All fingerprint lifts must be photographed before lifting OR At least two investigators must co-sign crime scene reports OR Two supervisors must verify the validity of all discovered fingerprints.

Why does the Troop C case underline the importance of documentation?

Because proper documentation and oversight can deter or reveal fabricated evidence.