A pioneering technique to take fingerprints from used shotgun cartridges has been sold to a mystery buyer, earning Northamptonshire Police “several thousands of pounds”.
The revolutionary “fingerprint visualising” technique was developed by Dr John Bond, a former scientific support manager at Wootton Hall, while he was employed by the force four years ago.
The technique reveals previously undiscovered fingerprints on metal, including gun shell casings, by applying a large voltage to the metal and then adding ceramic beads coated with a fine powder to the surface.
It reacts with the corrosion on the metal left over from fingerprints, even after they have been wiped off, revealing the original fingerprint pattern.
The innovation was patented by Northamptonshire Police Authority and the first machine has recently been sold, earning a royalty of “several thousand pounds”. The buyer has not yet been revealed.
Dr Bond, who still retains close links with the force although now employed by the University of Leicester, revealed that other subsequent inventions are in the process of being commercialised.
He said: “I am delighted to hear that the first machine has been sold and that this is bringing some benefit to policing in Northamptonshire.
“I still retain strong links with the force in respect of overseeing university student projects around the area of scientific support.
“In April, I gave evidence in court about CERA in Marin County, California, which was a milestone and next month I am visiting California again to discuss CERA with the alcohol, tobacco and firearms agency that has a CERA machine on test.
“It reflects the fact that CERA is now established as a new way of finding fingerprints, the innovation is not a flash in the pan.
“It has proved a gateway to further development to taking fingerprints from surfaces exposed to extreme heat (shell casing), waterlogging (say a weapon which has been down a drain) and everyday items such as thermal paper, till receipts and cashpoint ATM surrounds.
“And CERA has enabled investigators to look at historic events like the Lockerbie bombing from a different perspective, opening up new opportunities from items that may have been handled by the bomber.”
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