Book Review: Komarinski, P. (2005). Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems (AFIS). Burlington, MA: Elsevier Academic Press. 312 pp

• Author: Xudong Jiang
• Date: 01 June 2007
• DOI: 10.1177/0734016807300502
• Published date: 01 June 2007
• Subject Matter: Articles

182

Book Reviews

Komarinski, P. (2005). Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems

(AFIS). Burlington, MA: Elsevier Academic Press. 312 pp.

DOI: 10.1177/0734016807300502

Fingerprints have been routinely used by law enforcement agencies for more than 100

years. The increasing workloads due to a very high demand for fingerprint identification ser-

vices led to the development of automated fingerprint identification systems (AFIS) over the

past few decades. Nowadays, millions of fingerprint records are needed and can be com-

pletely searched within minutes. This was not possible just a few years ago and would not

have been possible without AFIS technology. The huge numbers of identity searches and the

identification speed and accuracy verge on the unbelievable. AFIS are valuable tools that have

changed the way we do business and even our daily life. Scientists, researchers, and engineers

discover, invent, and develop the amazing AFIS. It is nonetheless only a tool for law enforce-

ment agencies and nonforensic users. The efficacy and efficiency of the AFIS in practical

application heavily rely on the people who use it and maintain it. This book provides a

tremendous amount of valuable and practical information and guides for criminal justice

practitioners, identification staff, booking officers, the courts, district attorneys, and others

who depend on accurate and prompt delivery of identification information. Policy makers,

government purchasers, and managers must know more about AFIS than just the information

in the sales brochure. They must understand the scope and opportunities offered by AFIS and

also must be able to maintain the current systems and plan for future changes. They will

find this book of value for information such as the implication of adopting some policies over

others and varied uses of AFIS.

Automated fingerprint identification involves technology, people, and processes. A great

deal has been published about various technology developments and technical performance

related to AFIS. This book does not present the detailed technologies and technical solutions

for specific problems. It addresses many important issues about the automated fingerprint

identification processes and provides rich information for people who use AFIS and/or are

interested in it. This easy-to-understand book presents a comprehensive overview of the

automated fingerprint identification process, its characteristics, challenges, opportunities,

and trade-offs. It provides the reader with a better understanding of the complexities of

the automated fingerprint identification process. It well answers many critical and frequently

asked questions by AFIS users such as how the AFIS works, why it works, how it came to

be, what lies in the future, why there are missed identifications, and why identifications are

made on one database that are not made on another database.

Peter Komarinski, the author of this book, is a criminal justice policy analyst with the New

York State Division of Criminal Justice Services. He has worked with a variety of criminal

justice agencies including law enforcement, corrections, and policy planning for more than

30 years. Komarinski is the chair of the AFIS Committee of the International Association for

Identification. He has lectured to federal, state, and local criminal justice managers and prac-

titioners, including the New York Police Department, on the use of AFIS. His lectures include

“Management Challenges to AFIS Interoperability,” “Improving Identifications Through the

Unsolved Latent Print File,” and “Statistical Analysis of Identification Rates.” The author’s

rich experiences in examining and using AFIS provided a solid foundation for this book.

Criminal Justice Review

Volume 32 Number 2

June 2007 182-183

© 2007 Georgia State University

Research Foundation, Inc.

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