Advances in Fingerprint Technology.pdf

to the unrelenting efforts of Steegers and his great technical ability the
“Gabinete Nacional de Idenficacion” was created in 1911 and Steegers
became its first director under whom the continuous technical work of
scientific production was raised to its high level. This went on until his
death on the 22nd March 1921.
Canada
Edward Foster (1863–1956) is known as the “Father of Canadian Fingerprinting.”
On July 21,1910, an Order of Council was passed sanctioning the use
of the fingerprint system in Canada. The first set of fingerprints identified
by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police fingerprint bureau was received by
that bureau on September 20, 1911, and was taken by Inspector Edward
Foster. As in most parts of the world, the Canadian bureau grew daily, and
after 9 years of operation, Foster had reportedly received more than 11,000
sets of fingerprints that resulted in more than 1,000 identifications. By comparison,
in 1959, 220,000 sets had been received, giving more than 77,000
identifications of previous convictions.
Australia and New Zealand
I have mentioned that Dr. Henry Faulds attempted to organize a fingerprint
bureau at the Yard, between 1886 and 1888, at his own expense. One of the
Scotland Yard officers he contacted was Inspector Tunbridge; although Tunbridge
gave the impression that he thought there was potential in a fingerprint
system, it has been suggested that behind the scenes he was not satisfied that
it was a workable proposition.
In 1897, Tunbridge went to New Zealand to become Commissioner of
Police; he retired in 1903 and returned to England. In 1907, he wrote the
following letter to Faulds:
I have a most distinct and pleasant recollection of our interview, and, since
the F.P. system has been adopted as a means of identification of criminals
with such marked success, have often wondered how it was that you have
not been more actively connected with the carrying out of the system. When
the Home Authorities recognised the value of the system, I was Commissioner
of Police in New Zealand, and it was owing mainly to my recommendation
that the system was introduced into New Zealand prisons,
although the prison Authorities were somewhat opposed to it. Some of the
Australian States also adopted the system, with the result that an interchange
of prints took place, and soon manifested its value. The system is now in
full working order in Australia, and is carried on by the police, of course,
with the assistance of the prison Authorities.