Accommodations are offered to course participants. Our rooms are subject to availability and the request must be indicated on the course registration form
Meal plans are offered to course participants. The specific meal plan must be indicated on the course registration form
Travel grant funding is available to our non-federal law enforcement agencies
2026
Course registration details
Session(s)
Location
Start date
End date
26-01 English
Ottawa
2026-03-23
2026-03-27
Cost
Tuition
$4,225.00
Notes
Accommodations are offered to course participants. Our rooms are subject to availability and the request must be indicated on the course registration form
Meal plans are offered to course participants. The specific meal plan must be indicated on the course registration form
Travel grant funding is available to our non-federal law enforcement agencies
Description
This course assists trained forensic identification specialists in analyzing and comparing difficult or unusual friction ridge detail. Students are introduced to the Analysis, Comparison, Evaluation and Verification (ACE-V) process and learn how to address concerns of bias and sources of errors. Some of the topics covered in the course include sufficiency and exclusion decisions, distortion analysis, and expert witness testimony.
Format and delivery
Length of course
5 days
Class size
maximum 20 students
Delivery setting
classroom
Learning outcomes
Knowledge of the different developmental stages of friction skin
Understanding how to draw conclusions using the established ACE-V process, including feature selection and specificity, and sufficiency and exclusion decisions
Ability to analyze various distortions
Understanding how to explain sources of error and error rates
Knowledge of legal issues
Eligibility and mandatory requirements
Registrants must have successfully completed the Forensic Identification Course (FIC) from the Canadian Police College or an equivalent accredited course recognized by CPC. International registrants must have successfully completed a course equivalent or comparable to the Forensic Identification Course (FIC) from the Canadian Police College.
Assessment
Success in the course is based on participation and completion of all required assignments
Various evaluation methods are used, including a pre-course assignment and final written exam
Optional component - the students can bring an interesting or a complex fingerprint case to present to the class
Re-testing or re-evaluation is conducted at the discretion of the course instructor