Mr. DULLES. This is the FBI?
Mr. LATONA. Yes; this is the FBI. It would be 10 years of practical
work in connection with the classifying and searching and verifying
of regular fingerprint cards which bear all 10 prints. Those prints
would be searched through our main fingerprint files. That means that
that person would have to serve at least 10 years doing that. Of
course, he would have to progress from the mere searching operation
to the operation of being what we call unit supervisor, which would
check--which would be actually the checking of the work of subordinates
who do that work. He would be responsible for seeing that the
fingerprints are properly searched, properly classified.
Mr. EISENBERG. And how long will he work in the latent fingerprint
section?
Mr. LATONA. He would have to take an adaptability test, which would
take 3 or 4 days, to determine, first of all, do we feel he has the
qualifications for the job. Then if he passed the adaptability test,
he would receive a minimum of 1 year's personal training in the latent
fingerprint section--which means that he would have to serve at least
11 years in fingerprint work constantly, day in and day out, 8 hours a
day in fingerprint work, before we would consider him as a fingerprint
expert for purposes of testifying in a court of law.
Mr. EISENBERG. So that when you show us this chart, this is actually,
or I should say, is this actually a demonstration, rather than a chart
from which we could make an identification?
Mr. LATONA. That's right. The purpose is simply a hope on my part
that by my explanation you may have some idea as to how a comparison
is made, rather than for me to prove it to you through these charts,
because unquestionably there are certain points that you will not see
which to me are apparent.