What are two major systems for identifying criminals?

Prepare for the SkillsUSA Crime Scene Test with flashcards and multiple choice questions, each offering detailed explanations. Get ready and boost your confidence!

The correct choice highlights two historical methods of identifying individuals associated with criminal activity. Anthropometry, developed by Alphonse Bertillon in the late 19th century, involved measuring various physical attributes of a person, such as height, width of the head, and length of limbs, to create a unique profile for identification. This system was used before the widespread implementation of fingerprinting and DNA analysis and was considered revolutionary at the time for cataloging repeat offenders.

Dactylography, or fingerprinting, emerged as an even more reliable method of identification. The uniqueness of individual fingerprints makes them an effective tool for law enforcement to link suspects to crime scenes. Unlike anthropometry, which relied on physical measurements that could be somewhat subjective and prone to error, dactylography provides a clear, objective means of identifying individuals based on their distinct fingerprint patterns.

Combined, these two systems represent foundational methods in criminal identification, establishing protocols that are still in use today, particularly the modern reliance on fingerprint analysis in forensic science.

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