Evening star., 1938-12-26
No Delay in Searching
F. B. 1. Fingerprint Files.

F. B. l. Fingerprint Files.
To the Editor of The Star:
I read the editorial entitled Bond
Jumpers" which appeared in the De-
cember IA, 1898, issue of The Washing
ton Star with considerable interest par
ticularly in view of the fact that promi-
nent mention is made of the identifica-
ton facilities of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation.
I likewise have noted other items
which have appeared in the press re-
garding the situation which prompted
your editorial. In one news item it was
pointed out that from "a to u hours
were necessary for the Police Depart
ment to obtain information from the
files of the Federal Bureau of Investiga-
ton, except in special cases where an
emergency case was put through. 1t
also appears that a series of conferences
have been held by city officials and rep
resentatives of the Washington Criminal
Justice Association with reference to
this matter and because of your interest
I wanted you to know that all finger
print records furnished to the F. B. l..
by the Washington Police Department
are handled within "a hours. The rec
ords ordinarily are brought to the bureau
by approximately $3.50 pm. for search,
and as soon as the records are searched
the officials of the Washington Police
Department are notified by telephone
of any persons wanted. The records are
then made up and given the officer
when he calls at approximately $50
pm. on the following day. To date the
Washington Police Department has not
requested the Federal Bureau of In
vestigation to give any special attention
to the handling of fingerprints submitted
by it although the F. B. I. is in posi-
ton to give special attention in every
instance when it is requested by law
enforcement agencies. Likewise, we can
not anticipate when the records are of
special interest to the local authorities
unless the bureau is given notice. =.
At the present time the bureaus files
contain in excess of 100000 finger
prints, yet it is possible to search an in
coming print through our files in less
than 3 minutes time and ascertain
whether or not the individual whose
fingerprints are being searched has pre-
viously been fingerprinted.
Likewise, I thought you might be in
terested in knowing that during confer
ences which have been held, as reported
by the press, regarding the more ex-
peditious handling of fingerprint rec
ords, the bureau has not been consulted,
nor has the matter been presented, to
the bureau in any way whatsoever.
Frankly, it would not be necessary for
the Metropolitan Police Department to
have representative of that department
stationed at the F. B. I. during each 8
hours Of the day since all the finger
prints are classified and searched by the
bureaus technical experts and the only
arrangements that need be made would
be to have the fingerprint records on in
dividuals being held brought to the bu-
reau where, within very short period
Of time, they could be searched and the
police officials notified by telephone If
necessary.
AS you have pointed out in your edi-
torial, certainly the problem involved
does warrant the most serious considera-
ton by the local authorities. At the
same time, however, in any cases where
some special reason exists for expediting
the search it certainly would not require
a day or so to ascertain whether the in
dividual under inquiry has previously
been fingerprinted.
Again want to express my gratitude
for the constant interest which you have