Calls for blind proficiency testing in forensic science disciplines intensified following the 2009 National Academy of Sciences report and were echoed in the 2016 report by the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. Both practitioners and scholars have noted that “open” proficiency tests, in which analysts know they are being tested, allow for test-taking behavior that is not representative of behavior in routine casework. This study reports the outcomes of one laboratory’s blind quality control (BQC) program. Specifically, we describe results from approximately 2.5 years of blind cases in the latent print section (N = 376 latent prints submitted as part of 144 cases). We also used a widely available quality metrics software (LQMetrics) to explore relationships between objective print quality and case outcomes. Results revealed that nearly all BQC prints (92.0%) were of sufficient quality to enter into AFIS. When prints had a source present in AFIS, 41.7% of print searches resulted in a candidate list containing the true source. Examiners committed no false positive errors but other types of errors were more common. Average print quality was in the midpoint of the range (53.4 on a 0-to-100 scale), though prints were evenly distributed across the Good, Bad, and Ugly categories. Quality metrics were significantly associated with sufficiency determinations, examiner conclusions, and examiner accuracy. Implications for blind testing and the use of quality metrics in routine casework as well as proficiency testing are discussed.
Latent print quality in blind proficiency testing: Using quality metrics to examine laboratory performance
Journal: Forensic Science International
Published: 2021
Primary Author: Brett O. Gardner
Secondary Authors: Maddisen Neuman, Sharon Kelley
Type: Publication
Research Area: Latent Print
Related Resources
How do Labs Ensure Quality? A Nationwide Review of SOPs for Latent Print Examination
This presentation is from the 108th International Association for Identification (IAI) Annual Educational Conference, Reno, Nevada, August 11-17, 2024. Posted with permission of CSAFE.
Developing a Repeatable and Reproducible Protocol for Establishing Combined Minutiae Frequencies
Fingerprint minutia types influence LPEs’ analyses and evaluations during casework, with features perceived as rarer generally given more weight. Last year, we reported on examiner perceptions of minutia type frequency.…
Challenges in Modeling, Interpreting, and Drawing Conclusions from Images as Forensic Evidence
When a crime is committed, law enforcement directs crime scene experts to obtain evidence that may be pertinent to identifying the perpetrator(s). Much of this evidence comes in the form…
Toward Consistency in Latent Print Examiners’ Naming Conventions and Minutiae Frequency Estimations
This presentation is from the 76th Annual Conference of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS), Denver, Colorado, February 19-24, 2024.