Law enforcement officers from multiple parishes are learning the basics of fingerprint identification during a week-long class at the Caddo Sheriff’s Re-Entry facility, said Sheriff Steve Prator.

Detectives and crime scene officers who previously had little to no experience in the field are learning how to take and compare prints, document results, and prepare for courtroom testimony.

Caddo Sheriff’s Lt. Owen McDonnell and Shreveport Police Sgt. Danny Duddy are teaching the class, which is being offered for the first time in this area. Participants will perform 150 comparisons throughout the week after learning about patterns and basic searching techniques. 

Attending are officers and deputies from the Kenner, Slidell, Ruston, Bossier City, and Shreveport police departments; St. Charles, Lincoln, Desoto, Sabine, Natchitoches, and Caddo Parish sheriff’s offices; Parker County, Texas, Sheriff’s Office; and the Northwest Louisiana Crime Lab.

McDonnell serves as supervisor of the Caddo Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigations Division and has over 26 years in the field of Crime Scene Investigations and Latent Print Examinations. He holds a Master’s Degree in Forensic Science from Oklahoma State University and serves as an adjunct clinical instructor for the OSU-CHS Master’s Program. McDonnell serves as a subject matter expert in friction ridge impressions for the West Virginia University Educational Task Force, the FBI Identification Services Coordination Group and for Texas A&M Extension Service Forensic Science Program He is a member of the International Association for Identification’s Crime Scene Subcommittee and has been nominated as a member of the IAI’s Ten Print subcommittee. He has presented numerous workshops and presentations at state, national, and international conferences. McDonnell currently holds the designation as a Certified Latent Print Examiner, as a Certified Ten Print Examiner, and as a Certified Senior Crime Scene Analyst. 

Duddy has been involved in crime scene investigations and latent print comparisons as a member of the Shreveport Police Department Crime Scene Investigations Unit for 21 years.  He has served as the sergeant of his unit since 2005. Duddy is an IAI Certified Latent Print Examiner and Certified Crime scene Investigator and a Past President of the Louisiana Division, IAI. He has been recognized as an expert in latent print and crime scene investigations by courts in Louisiana. Duddy teaches classes in CSI, Latent Print Development and Comparison to local agencies and has been a workshop instructor at the International Association for Identifications Annual Education Conference.

1 p.m., today, photo opportunity, 1121 Forum Drive, Re-Entry Building:

Instructors will conduct an exercise for class participants to take and compare fingerprint impressions.