Show FBI Fingerprint Data Tremendous I Files m in Bureau Represent I 60 Million Persons WASHINGTON From a nucleus of fingerprints at the time of I its founding in 1924 the FBI identification identification identification division in Washington to to- today today today day has grown to over 99 million prints representing approximate approximate- approximately ly 60 million persons During the fis fiscal fis- fis fiscal cal year 1945 they were the means of effecting some Their value to the law enforce enforce- enforcement enforcement enforcement ment officer and in non criminal matters is indeed tremendous yet even greater horizons lie ahead The number of contributors has increased during the past 20 years from less than a thousand to at present Last year a total of 7 fingerprint cards were re re- received received re- re received and retained A set of prints can be searched through this vast collection of prints in five minutes' minutes time and in the 1945 fiscal period identifications were made n per cent of the cards checked against the files Forty-five Forty foreign countries and territorial possessions of the United States operated co-operated with the FBI in the exchange of fingerprint data While the FBI's collection is by far the worlds world's largest repository of criminal records and fingerprints it itis itis itis is fully as important as an aid to the law-abiding law citizen A total of personal identification prints are on file together with 63 miscellaneous non criminal prints civil service ce prints and in with alien registration Hundreds of unknown deceased persons are identified as are a large number of amnesia victims Each day more and more people are coming to recognize the value of this infallible means of identification tion which nature has has- provided |