Jane's Police Product Review: Suite way to identify suspects in custody

1 December 2008

Police forces across the UK could soon be benefiting from the latest technology aimed at combating criminals who try to hide their identity.

Officers in Merseyside Police have spent the last year pioneering a system that takes particularly high-quality photographs of suspects.

The Digital Image Booths, which are designed to be well-lit and have the suspect looking in exactly the right direction, have been fitted in all nine custody suites on Merseyside. The force is also using cameras that photograph suspects as they arrive in the 'airlock' rooms, prior to being checked into custody suites. Within seconds, the computer is able to search a database of 250,000 pictures to see if it matches people with a similar appearance.

The system uses a number of techniques, including measuring the distances between features such as eyes, nose, mouth and cheekbones. Within seconds, officers will see whether the picture has been matched to a person known to them and, therefore, whether they have the correct details. They can also access information on whether the person has a history of violence or self-harm.

Not only does the system reduce the danger to officers, it also helps speed up the arrest process. Once recognised, the prisoner's details can be called up, without the officer having to type them in again. The software is provided by Guildford-based OmniPerception, with the booths built and distributed by DW Group, based in Milton Keynes. The companies say they have had interest from around 20 forces, with orders already received from Hertfordshire, City of London, North Wales and Tayside Police.

Supt Ngaire Waine, Merseyside Police's lead on technology, said: 'A lot of people give false identities and it is very hard to hide your true identity with this system. The sooner you know who someone is, the sooner you know if they are a danger to themselves or others.'

'This system will speed up the custody process and allow the officer to get back on patrol.'