The Latent Print Unit of the Broward Sheriff's Office Crime Laboratory conducts scientific examinations in the discipline of friction ridge analysis. This includes the comparison of latent fingerprints, palm prints and footprints recovered from crime scenes to known standards from individuals. These known standards—fingerprint and palm print records—are retrieved from the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS), a powerful biometric database used to assist in forensic identification.

Through detailed comparison, forensic scientists determine whether a latent print can be positively identified to a specific individual. If a latent print remains unidentified, it is entered into AFIS and searched against existing records. AFIS generates a candidate list and each potential match is carefully reviewed by a forensic scientist to determine if an identification can be made. Prints that do not yield a match are stored in the Unsolved Latent File (ULF), where they are automatically re-searched as new individuals are added to the system.

To ensure scientific integrity, all latent print examination results undergo independent verification by a second qualified forensic scientist. Analysts are responsible for preparing formal reports and providing expert witness testimony in court, clearly communicating their findings and the methodology used.

The Latent Print Unit plays a critical role in linking individuals to crime scenes, supporting investigations and delivering reliable forensic evidence to the criminal justice system.