There really is such a thing, a ‘Letter of Clearance”, available from the county Sheriff’s office. I got mine yesterday.
My fingers had cracks in them. The technician questioned if I did cleaning without gloves. No, never. Turns out that if you get enough cracks in your prints, they can’t be read. Seems some people burn their finger tips to get just that effect. But then one day they realize that they need a clearance letter for one reason or another and go to the Sheriff’s office.
“I’ve had guys come in here with scabs on their fingers”, the tech told me as she rolled my left thumb on the scanner. “And let me tell you, they don’t always smell so good.” I noticed she was wearing gloves.
As she continued scanning my fingers, she told me about this marginal-looking dude who came in to check on his criminal record. She ran his name and prints and found that he had a warrant out on him. He was promptly cuffed and carted off, forcing him to leave his belongings on the counter. Another officer came to retrieve the items, which included a paper bag. He opened it and found a snake. I asked if the critter had been taken to the animal shelter. It had, but the girlfriend was allowed to reclaim it the next day. Personally, I think the snake should have been kept in protective custody.
Cheers,
Kate
