When was the FBI Identification Division established?

The FBI Identification Division was established in 1924. This marked a pivotal moment in the history of law enforcement in the United States, as it played a crucial role in the standardized collection, filing, and analysis of fingerprint records. The establishment of the division was part of a broader effort to modernize policing practices and enhance the capabilities of law enforcement agencies in identifying criminals through biometric data.

This choice highlights the significance of 1924 as the year when the FBI began to centralize its focus on fingerprints, which laid the groundwork for the integration of fingerprinting into the criminal justice system and has since become a fundamental tool for identification in forensic science. The creation of the Identification Division allowed the FBI to compile a comprehensive national fingerprint database, significantly improving the speed and accuracy of criminal investigations.