Facial Recognition Software for Patrol
Files
Date
2020
Authors
Eckstrom, Dylan R.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas (LEMIT)
Abstract
Description
Facial recognition technology is currently not being utilized in an efficient manner. There are alternative and passive applications which include individual safety for officers. There is an ability to link or identify persons of interest in active criminal investigations. Known suspects with active warrants provides an officer with the ability to increase awareness from available photograph comparison. The comparison of photographs is already publicly available, but utilizing the database for runaways, missing persons, be on the lookout, and active warrants, significantly increases an officer’s safety awareness. Law enforcement should utilize portable facial recognition technology in its daily application. Facial recognition technology is a way to make officers more accountable, flexible in application, and safer during public interactions. In the full application and implementation of a portable facial recognition system, there will be a significant increase in awareness. This increase can potentially minimize injuries based upon knowledge that would normally not be present during an average interaction. The available comparison photographs are public information and used currently to disseminate information to the public. There is a subset of photographs which are law enforcement sensitive, which can easily be separated through a different search database, which would not be available to the public. Facial recognition is not biology; it is a statistical probability based upon unique facial features (Taylor, 2017).