Federal Office of Police

Number of hits

Positive AFIS identification is called a hit . If the system returns a hit, a set of two fingerprints has proved to be identical. Evidence of identical fingerprints can help prove someone’s guilt or exonerate a suspect from a crime, provided that the fingerprints are of a good quality, the fingerprint experts are competent, and efficient processes and technologies are employed.

Number of hits in 2011:
Identification of individuals with the two-finger method:	49'178
Identification of individuals with the ten-finger method:	20'665
Trace identification (ten fingers, ball of the thumb, edge of the hand):	2'864
Number of hits in 2010:
Identification of individuals with the two-finger method:	38’272
Identification of individuals with the ten-finger method:	16’629
Trace identification (ten fingers, ball of the thumb, edge of the hand):	2’550
Number of hits in 2009:
Identification of individuals with the two-finger method:	36’463
Identification of individuals with the ten-finger method:	15’848
Trace identification (ten fingers, ball of the thumb, edge of the hand):	2’323
Number of hits in 2008:
Identification of individuals with the two-finger method:	30’247
Identification of individuals with the ten-finger method:	12’673
Trace identification (ten fingers, ball of the thumb, edge of the hand):	1’752
(Remark: Method of calculation has changed compared to 2007)
Number of hits in 2007:
Identification of individuals with the two-finger method:	28'023
Identification of individuals with the ten-finger method:	11'224
Trace identification (ten fingers, ball of the thumb, edge of the hand):	1'229
Number of hits in 2006:
Identification of individuals with the two-finger method:	30'809
Identification of individuals with the ten-finger method:	12'924
Trace identification (ten fingers, ball of the thumb, edge of the hand):	1'111