Toward better AFIS practice and process in the forensic fingerprint environment

Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems (AFIS) are used in forensic operational environments worldwide. Traditionally, these systems are search systems only and have limited workflow to support forensic processes in recommended best-practice approaches. This paper addresses this issue by presenting best practice approaches and processes for AFIS in forensic environments. The discussion is divided into three parts. First, we identify three factors that can impact the performance of AFIS in forensic environments. Second, we discuss the search process and highlight how the National Police of the Netherlands (NPN) strategies to mitigate bias and error in their AFIS workflow. Finally, we briefly discuss other considerations for establishing best-practice. We offer resources for biometric managers and users, providing an overview of the best AFIS practices in forensic environments. We propose the NPN system as a benchmark and aim to foster discussions among AFIS communities to enhance AFIS practices and processes in forensic fingerprint environments.