OCR Text |
Show - - m rniiiwwMH ihum , ,n J 1 9 , ' f or queuing up at airports in lines for an electronic frisk. Actually, we have been living with protective fingerprinting for years. In many states, prospective grand jury members are fingerprinted, as insurance that a criminal will not be sitting in judgment on the accused. In several public school systems, teachers taking a license examination are required to be fingerprinted. This precaution is used to detect unscrupulous applicants who engage "ringers," or substitutes, to take the test for them. Even the American Civil Liberties Union, whose 250,000 members fiercely oppose compulsory fingerprinting, deems this measure "proper" so long as the prints are not sent on to the FBI or local police a condition that school boards honor. In New York City, applicants for liquor licenses, gun permits, hack drivers, etc., are fingerprinted for public protection. During World War II and the Vietnam war, the government fingerprinted over 30 million men for the Armed Forces. Service, anti-hija- ', I - - ' .. ? 'X-- r.. 8 ,, . Vv f f -' l c. ' . , f w, i1' ' M ' r, . i a-vi-' -- -V d(7- f - . , . - . , 1 . , T " r . su, ' u; . -, jr , v '.I . '' ' t-- . - - -- ' t y jL r V' 'v f ' yrV. ,1f , , ' ..-- . - . ,rj . - 4 Instant identity: FBI device can electronically scan fingerprint cards in halt a second. Six million U.S. citizens have voluntarily submitted prints for filing. anti-cheati- Criminals spotted In 1941, when the U.S. Civil Service Commission began requiring fingerthose with crimprinting of inal records ran one in 13. Robbers, rapists, arsonists and other criminals were thereby exposed. Swiftly the word passed through the underworld and the Civil Service became No. 1 on the criminals' allergy list Today only one in every 100 applicants is found to have a record usually a minor one. Meanwhile, the trend toward protective fingerprinting is making significant strides. A leading Washington law firm is one of many that advises clients to stamp their fingerprints on wills, deeds and conveyances, to prevent forgery or false claims. "Contested documents will become a rarity in law courts when a fingerprint accompanies a signature," says Cyrus Vance, prominent trial lawyer and president of the Bar Association of New York City. job-seeke- byMortWeisinger ecently, in a Baltimore department store, when a neatly dressed man wrote out a check to pay for his purchases and presented his drivand two major credit cards license er's for identification, he encountered something new. The cashier politely asked him to press his thumb on the back of the check then inserted the check into a little black box. A second later, despite the fact that no ink had been used, out came the check with the whorls and ridges of the customer's thumbprint clearly marked on it. The man reacted to this phenomenon of instant identification by grabbing back the check. He darted for the exit only to rush into the arms of a security guard. Subsequent investigation revealed that he was a professional check-forgand that he was using stolen and altered credentials. The little box that had panicked the device forger was a known as Identicator, an invention of Detective Division Chief Hugh McDonald, formerly of the Los Angeles sheriff's department. The device, produces, from natural skin oils, an indelible thumbprint. Introduced in March, 1973, by a San Francisco firm, Identicator systems are now being used by hundreds of retail stores in 45 states, ranging from mom and pop groceries to major department chains like J C. Penney and Lane Bryant. Other users include some 50 banks, supermarkets, car rental agencies, air er print-developi- lines, hotels, motels and a host of establishments usually victimized by fraud artists. Michael Blewett, Identicator's vice president, told PARADE: "Each year k passers fleece businesses of an estimated $4 billion far more than bank robbers get. Clients report that our system has helped cut phony checks by 90 percent, because it provides a powerful psychological deterrent to swindlers." In Indianapolis, pawnbrokers must thumbprint customers before making loans on merchandise. "This ordinance has helped us clear up numerous burglaries, robberies and larcenies," says Sgt. Sam Davis of the Indianapolis Pawnshop Detail. "It has also aided in the recovery of thousands of dollars in stolen property." bad-chec- Anti-cri- me weapon The Identicator and the Indianapolis experiences underline the case for "protective fingerprinting," a growing procedure which experts declare might become one of our most powerful weapons against crime. It would hamstring the criminal without imperiling the liberties of honest citizens. However, many persons link fingerprinting to criminality, while others object to it as an invasion of privacy. But protective fingerprinting no more violates personal rights than submitting to preventive vaccination, supplying financial information to the Internal Revenue Prints instead of Xf In numerous banks across the nation, illiterate depositors who sign their name with an "X" are being urged to affix their prints on application cards, to protect them against unauthorized withdrawals by relatives or friends who may have access to their passbooks. A famous sculptor has chosen this method of digital defense to identify her works for posterity. Her fingerprints are impressed on her sculptures, and the authenticity of her works is easily established with the Fingerprint Register at the New York City police headquarters, where more than a million persons have voluntarily submitted their fingerprints. Non-Crimin- al continued Boyou sufferfrom painful elimination? If you do, youre not alone. Thousands of peo- ple suffer from painful elimination. The reason is often constipation or hemorrhoids. What you need is something that will soften intestinal waste for smooth, comfortable relief. Thats exactly what Serutan does. Serutan is a softening laxative that helps to relieve painful elimination. It forms a smooth, mild gel that sup- -' plies moisture and bulk to bring effective relief without strain. Serutan is the same formula as the laxative prescribed by many doctors to give their patients the relief they want with real comfort. Do you suffer from painful elimination? Get gentle, effective Serutan today. BONUS OFFER At no extra cost, 13 more Fruit Flavored Serutan in beautiful reusable Apothecary Jar. At your store now. |