SINGAPORE — A computer software runs a check on a fingerprint and finds a perfect match almost immediately. With that, a criminal case is solved.
This common scenario in movies and TV shows is far removed from what happens in real life, veteran forensic experts told TODAY.
Even with technological advancements, fingerprint examination remains an art requiring a human touch, because the prints left at crime scenes are usually imperfect or incomplete.
The work of forensic experts in Singapore was showcased to the media and invited guests on Thursday (Nov 9) during the Criminal Investigation Department Forensic Conference at the Police Cantonment Complex. This was to mark the 40th anniversary of the Forensics Division, which includes the Forensics Management Branch.
Above: Experts from the police Forensics Division (L-R): Lim Seng Kim, Michael Won, Albert Pung, Lee Mei Fun. Photo by Najeer Yusof/TODAY
Madam Lee Mei Fun, 54, officer-in-charge of the fingerprint examination team in the Forensics Management Branch, said: “Reviewing marks at a crime scene relies a lot on the experience of the fingerprint examiner. These marks could appear partial and distorted. It’s not what you see on (TV or in movies) where two fingerprints come out — looking very perfect — and then you get a match.”
The techniques showcased in dramas on screen may be similar to those used in the real world, but the results are vastly different. For instance, on-screen investigators often use luminol to reveal traces of blood.
Mr Lim Seng Kim, 67, former head of the Forensics Management Branch, said: “Under daylight, you can’t see (the blood). It must be in total darkness. But in the show, everything can be seen (even under the light). It’s exaggerated.”
There are around 100 crime-scene specialists and fingerprint specialists in the Forensics Division. Crime-scene specialists, as their job title states, analyse crime scenes and collect forensic evidence, while the fingerprint specialists scrutinise fingerprints.
The division was known as the Scene of Crime Unit when operations started in 1977, with a lean force of just 12 police officers, led by an officer-in-charge.
Retired police officer Michael Won, 75, recalled being tasked to set up the unit in 1975. “Science and technology was very lacking 42 years ago. I didn’t have any terms of reference… I had never been to any forensic training,” he said.
However, once things got going, he was clear about what he wanted officers to do better.
In the past, an investigation officer would seal the scene, and wait for a photographer and a fingerprint expert to arrive and compile evidence. Mr Won wanted to streamline the workflow, and train officers to be able to gather evidence, lift fingerprints and take photographs.
Mr Albert Pung, 63, who was from the third batch of trainees in 1981, recalled that training included learning to collect blood samples, developing fingerprints using powder, and taking detailed photographs of evidence.
Even with the wide-ranging training and skills they developed, some cases remain cold.
In the late 1990s, a dynamite exploded at a bus stop in Jurong, killing one man. The fragments from the blast flew far, landing on buildings in the vicinity, and the forensic experts had to work in darkness to collect evidence because it happened at night.
When investigators went to the nearby army camps, they learned that the use of this dynamite had been banned for at least a decade. The culprit was never found, Mr Lim recounted.
Encountering gory scenes may be part of their work, but it is never easy when the forensic team handles cases that involve children.
In a murder-suicide case, a father with gambling debts amounting to S$100,000 had drugged the food of his wife, son and daughter. When they became unconscious, he tucked them into bed under a blanket, sealed the window and door, and turned on the gas.
Mr Lim said: “(The scene is) not gruesome, but you look at the young kids, and you think, ‘Why must they die in that way?’”
Mr Pung has this to say to about confronting a disturbing crime scene: “You have to be emotionally strong. If you’re emotionally affected, move away, think of a way to calm yourself down. I count from one to 10.”
