Use footprints to identify disaster victims, say Japanese investigators

McCurry, Justin. "Use Footprints to Identify Disaster Victims, Say Japanese Investigators." The

Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 17 Mar. 2016. Web. 18 Apr. 2016. <http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/17/footprints-not-fingerprints-identify-disaster-victims-japan>.

The quest for finding a more efficient and easier method of identifying people is slowly but steadily being completed. In Tokyo’s metropolitan police division, two members, Akira Mizutane, who leads murder investigations and Hideo Kaneko, a former member of the crime scene investigation division, came up with the idea that footprints, rather than fingerprints could be used to identify victims of natural disasters. This is arguably more effective than fingerprint identification because fingerprints are not always available, and footprints have the added protection of footwear while remaining unique for each person. Also, scanning footprints results in less worry about privacy worries and unethical use of data. It is important to note that toeprints have not only footwear for protection but also unique patterns that can be used to identify people. Keep in mind that DNA testing takes time and money whereas there is already a portable scanner that can quickly scan and store footprints. Last but not least, footprint scanning can also be used to identify any elderly persons in protective police custody with dementia.

Overall, the usage of footprints instead of fingerprints seems like it could facilitate quicker and more accurate identification of disaster victims. According to the Guardian, there were many errors in identifying victims of Japan’s 2011 earthquake and tsunami. About 19,000 died; yet many discrepancies occurred because the police had only clothing and physical characteristics to base the appearances of the missing persons on. However, it is pressing that in the next thirty years, a highly probable earthquake could happen in Tokyo. Thus these new techniques will be vital in disasters such as this, but on a global scale. Already a company has designed a prototype of a portable footprint scanner which means that it is practical in short-term goals. Short term goals include natural disasters that have occurred recently but also when it comes to determining the identity of missing persons or senior citizens in protective police custody. When it comes to finding unique ways of identifying people, the more there is,  the merrier the people will be, certainly.

The Guardian’s Justin McCurry seems to have outdone himself. Overall, the article is very compelling, well-written and at a good pace. The premise is provided at the foremost, designed to be intriguing and succinct, while the constant quotations from Akira Mizutane and Hideo Kaneko smacks of credibility. Now, in the wake of Japan’s most recent earthquake, it proves itself more poignant than ever. However, even professionally written articles have their flaws, as do current events. On the other hand, like most criticisms, these flaws are simply a matter of opinion. For instance, while the March 2011 earthquake disaster is still important, even nowadays, the article should point out that such an earthquake was a rather exceptional one among the multitude of earthquakes the country is inherently susceptible to. Another thing that should be addressed is that maybe this article should have been updated due to the earthquake in Japan that occurred only a month after the article was written because an even more unique coincidence occurred; Japan’s and Ecuador’s earthquakes could be interconnected with each other. As a result, maybe Ecuador should be the first to utilize this technology after Japan. Other than that, this article is so substantial that there is not a lot of mistakes to chew out. Nonetheless, it would be quite nice if they also elaborated on the situation with the elderly currently being held in protective police custody because they got lost and have not the slightest clue of their own identity. That is not something one hears about often in the United States, of course.