History of the Vets.

The fingerprint branch at New Scotland Yard was established on 1st July 1901 to provide a definitive and absolutely positive link between a person with a criminal past, arrested and charged with an offence anywhere in the UK, and their criminal record. For many years the bureau was staffed by Police Officers but in the 1950s the numbers of persons wanting a career in the Police Force declined sharply, making the Home Office look at ways in which the deficit might be alleviated. A study suggested that many jobs were being performed which did not need a full police training and as a result the fingerprint branch was one of those selected to be civilianised. This was to be a rolling process with every retirement of a police officer from the top being matched by the recruitment of a civilian at the bottom and any augmentation of staff also being new civilian recruits.

For many years, until the last policeman retired, these two disciplines worked side by side and competed with each other for promotions. Eventually the branch was entirely civilian, headed by a civilian officer equivalent to commander and reporting to the Assistant Commissioner Specialist Operations. As well as linking persons arrested anywhere in the UK with their criminal records the members of the branch worked very closely with detectives across all the crime investigation disciplines in the Met from the examination of motor theft and burglary scenes to murder and terrorism. Others within the bureau compared the marks sent in from these crimes with the records and attempted to identify those responsible, leading to the giving of evidence of identity at Courts of Law. Unlike most other civilian disciplines within the Metropolitan Police who moved from branch to branch, fingerprint officers remained within the fingerprint service until they retired.

Hence was formed a very close bond of comradeship so that when, in 1987, the first civilian officers were approaching retirement it was decided to form the Veteran Fingerprint Experts Association. Any expert serving within the Metropolitan Police with at least 25 years service was eligible to join. The success of the idea was instant, most of who were eligible to do so joined and an inaugural meeting sorted out a committee, the scale of subscription necessary and tasked the committee with framing a constitution and rules to govern the running of the Association for presentation and approval at a general meeting.

In due time a range of social events including lunches and dinners, visits to places of interest in London and a weekend break for members and their wives and husbands, got under way and have become regular events in our social calendar. Various methods of keeping in touch, magazines and newsletters have been very useful but it is now felt that this website will fulfil all of the needs of our members and bring us up to date with what is occurring in a more efficient and more easily maintained manner.