Fingerprint officer
Fingerprint officers use manual and digital methods to identify fingerprints and marks taken from crime scenes.
Also known as: Fingerprint examiner
- Starter salary£24,000 a year
- Experienced£43,000 a year
- Typical hours37 to 44 a week
What you'll do
As a fingerprint officer, you could:
- attend crime scenes to collect fingerprint evidence
- take prints from bodies at incident scenes or in a mortuary
- compare prints with those of suspects, using manual and digital methods
- scan police fingerprint forms into national fingerprint database systems
- analyse prints and marks to uncover links between crime scenes
- work with forensic staff to collect traces of other evidence left by fingerprints
- eliminate prints to rule out people not under suspicion
- classify records and maintain fingerprint databases
- prepare and present evidence for investigators and for court
Working environment
You could work in a laboratory.
Your working environment may be emotionally demanding.
You may need to wear protective clothing.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- knowledge of public safety and security
- the ability to think clearly using logic and reasoning
- concentration skills
- to be flexible and open to change
- the ability to work on your own
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- legal knowledge including court procedures and government regulations
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently
How to become a fingerprint officer
You can get into this job through:
- a university course
- applying directly
University
You could study for a relevant degree before applying for a job as a trainee fingerprint officer. Subjects include:
- forensic science
- criminology
- applied science
- chemistry
- biology
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
Direct application
You can apply directly to a police force to join as a trainee fingerprint officer.
Each force sets its own entry requirements but you'll usually need one or more of the following:
- 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) including maths, English and a science subject
- a minimum of 2 A levels or equivalent qualifications
- experience of working in the police service
As part of the process, police forces will carry out checks into your background and employment history. This might also include checks on your close family members.
Restrictions and requirements
You'll need to:
- pass security checks
- pass enhanced background checks
You'll usually need a driving licence.
Career path and progression
With experience, you could become a senior fingerprint officer or scientific support manager.
With further training, you could become a scenes of crime officer (SOCO), or move into forensics or criminal intelligence work.
Career tips
Some knowledge of forensic and photographic techniques is helpful, though not essential.
Guides for this industry
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Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0