◆ SpookStack

\C - ~ m— om. @o Reet elt al ene ae ate afte SR saan tweens ea, a i C WORK AND FUNCTIONS OF THE DIVISION OF INVESTIGATION IDENTIFICATION FUNCTIONS The Division of Investigation, in addition to its field investigative offices, maintcins en Identification Unit at Washing- ton, D.C., which serves as a central clearing house of records per- taining to criminals. The information contained in the Division's identification files is based primarily upon fingerprints, which con-. stitute the largest and most complete collection of current value. in existence. ; oe On February 1, 1934, there were 4,114,255 fingerprint rec- ords and 45,°/5,1.4 index cards in the Division's archives. The chart | a eed which appears tn this pamphlet illustreting the growth of this work since its inception in 1924 throuzh the fiscal year ended June 30, 1933, reflects gratifying progress made possible by the cooperation of law-enforcement officials throughout the United States and for- eign countries. On february 1, approxinately 2,200 fingerprint rec- erds were being received in the Identification Division daily from 2,444 contributing law-enforcenent agencies throughout the world. All peace officers are invited to aveil themselves of the date on file in the Identification Unit of the Division of Investige- tion. The service is given without cost to all regularly constituted law-enforcement officers and agencies desiring it. Fingerprint cards, franxed envelopes, the pamphlet entitled "How to Take Fingerprints", and disposition sheets for the purpose of reporting dispositions to the Division are supplied gratis. Tne Division also furnishes upon request copies of its pamphlets on the subject of latent fingerprints; court decisions as to the legality of taking fingerprints and the ad- missibility of fingerprint evidence; and the modification and extension of the Henry system of identification, devised by the Division's experts and applied to its om technical files. ; Upon receipt of a fingerprint card froz a contributing law- enforcement agency, a letter giving the criminal record, or informing . of tae fact that no prior record has been located, is sent to the con- tributor. An additional copy of the letter citing a prior record is transnitted in arrest. cases for the benefit of the prosecutor as an aid in prosecuting the individual who has a previous record of arrest.. This record is also of value to the Judge before whom a case is tried, as it is oftentimes studied before determining the length and character of sentence which the court imposes on a convicted person. =... w 10