Forensic Databases

Integrated Automated Fingerprint
Identification System (IAFIS)
◦ Fingerprint and criminal history system for 50
million subjects
◦ Operational since 1999. Maintained by the FBI
◦ An examiner makes a digital image of the print
with a camera or scanner, marks points on the
print to guide the computerized search. Search is
completed within minutes against all images in
IAFIS
CODIS

Combined DNA Index System

Became fully operational in 1998;
maintained by the FBI

All 50 states have legislated that DNA
profiles of those convicted of felony
sexual offenses be stored in database.
CODIS

Forensic Index contains 110,000 DNA
profiles from unsolved crimes

Offender Index contains profiles of nearly 3
million convicted offenders

Hundreds of thousands are backlogged

Success in identifying perpetrators is due to
the fact that most crimes involving biological
evidence are committed by repeat offenders
NIBIN

National Integrated Ballistics Information
network

Maintained by the Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Images of bullets and cartridge casings

Helps produce a short list of candidates for
a firearms examiner to manually compare

More that 10,000 “hits” have been recorded
PDQ

International Forensic Automotive Paint
Data Query

Maintained by Royal Canadian Mounted
Police

Contains chemical and color information
pertaining to original automotive paints
Glass Evidence Database

contains more than 700 glass samples
◦ from manufacturers, distributors, and vehicle
junkyards

cannot determine the source of an unknown
piece of glass
◦ can assess the relative frequency that two glass
samples from different sources would have the
same elemental profile

Uses plasma mass specs
TreadMark and SoleMate

TreadMark
◦ commercial product that uses four
parameters—pattern, size, damage, and wear
◦ compared to suspects in custody and crime
scenes

SoleMate
◦ contains manufacturer, date of market release,
an image or offset print of the sole, and
pictorial images of the uppers
SICAR

Shoeprint Image Capture and Retrieval

Commercially available – not controlled
by a government agency.

Helps match crime-scene foot ware
impression with a particular shoe
manufacturer.
TreadMate

Contains more than 5,000 vehicle tires
and tread patterns
◦ manufacturer, date of release, pictorial image,
pattern features
◦ code for patterns:
 waves, lines, diamonds, zigzags, curves, and blocks
FISH

Forensic Information System for
Handwriting

Maintained by the U.S. Secret Service

enables document examiners to scan and
digitize text writings
◦ such as threatening correspondence

plotted as arithmetic and geometric values
International Ink Library

Maintained by the U.S. Secret Service and
the IRS

includes more than 9,500 inks dating back
from the 1920’s

pen and ink manufacturers are asked to
submit their new ink formulations
◦ chemically tested and added to the reference
collection
Drug Databases

Indent-A-Drug
◦ private company
◦ publishes a book and computer program to help
identify drugs in tablet or capsule form

PharmInfoNet
◦ contains information on prescription druges,
included uses, marketing and availability, and
common side effects

RxList
◦ database of prescription drugs like PharmInfoNet
Ignitable Liquids Reference
Collection (ILRC)

allows a laboratory to isolate an ignitable
liquid of interest

designed for screening purposes only

does not replace American Standard
Testing Materials

enter name of the liquid and can search
the database
ChemFinder

contains information from manufacturers
on chemicals
◦ chemical structures
◦ physical properties
◦ hyperlinks