For 25 years the San Jose Police Department proudly served the latent print analysis needs of Santa Clara County law enforcement as the host agency of the CAL-ID program. In 2013, by mutual agreement, the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office gained full acquisition of the CAL-ID program. The San Jose Police Department continues to maintain the Central Identification Unit (CIU), providing latent print examination and identification services to the San Jose Police Department.

As of March 8, 2020 the Central Identification Unit reports to the Bureau of Investigations Financial Crimes- Burglary / Fraud Unit. The CIU consists of a Latent Fingerprint Examiner Supervisor and 6 Examiners. Latent Fingerprint Examiners belong to a prestigious professional association, the International Association for Identification (IAI), the oldest and largest forensic association in the world. The IAI Latent Print Board has established standards of qualification for those who practice latent print examinations and developed a certification program consisting of a review of personal and professional record of education and training, experience, as well as a formal test. Examiners in CIU are expected to meet the IAI’s professional standards by passing the Latent Print Certification Test and become a Certified Latent Print Examiner (CLPE), of which there are just 926 world-wide (as of July 2022). CIU currently employs 3 Certified Latent Print Examiners with required IAI recertification proficiency testing every five years.

The Central Identification Unit supports the Bureau of Investigations and Patrol Divisions utilizing local, state, and FBI Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems (AFIS) in the automation and identification of latent fingerprints submitted for analysis. CIU also coordinates with the Santa Clara County Crime Lab and the Office of the District Attorney for latent print analysis requests. Our examiners analyze, compare, evaluate evidence, write reports, and provide testimony in court as to their expert opinion in the field of latent fingerprint identification.