NCJ Number
46066
Journal
Police Research Bulletin Issue: 30 Dated: (SPRING 1978) Pages: 7-13
Date Published
1978
Length
7 pages
Annotation
QUESTIONNAIRES SENT TO POLICE DEPARTMENTS IN ENGLAND AND WALES FOUND THAT OF THE 43 FORCES, 41 USE THE FACIAL IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM CALLED 'PHOTO-FIT'; SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVING THIS TOOL ARE DISCUSSED.
Abstract
IN 1970 THE POLICE SCIENTIFIC DEVELOPMENT BRANCH, ENGLAND, DEVELOPED A KIT POLICE OFFICERS COULD USE TO PRODUCE FACIAL COMPOSITES FROM WITNESS DESCRIPTIONS. CALLED 'PHOTO-FIT,' THE KIT CONSISTS OF MORE THAN 600 PIECES WHICH ARE PHOTOGRAPHS OF ONE FEATURE ON A THIN CARD, A TRANSPARENT PLASTIC COVER TO HOLD THE FEATURES IN PLACE, MARKING PENS FOR ADDING DETAILS, AND AN ACCOMPANYING BOOK CONTAINING SMALL PHOTOGRAPHS OF ALL THE PHOTO-FIT PARTS. THE FIRST KIT WAS FOR FULL-FACE VIEWS OF CAUCASIAN MALES. SINCE THEN AN AFRO-ASIAN KIT, A CAUCASIAN FEMALE KIT, AND A PROFILE CAUCASIAN MALE KIT HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED. QUESTIONNAIRES SENT TO ALL 43 POLICE FORCES IN ENGLAND AND WALES FOUND THAT 41 USE PHOTO-FIT, ONE USES ARTISTS' IMPRESSIONS, AND ONE USES THE PHOTO-FIT BOOK TO RECONSTRUCT FACES. FOLLOWUP OF 729 CASES IN WHICH AT LEAST ONE PHOTO-FIT HAD BEEN CONSTRUCTED FOUND THAT 140 HAD BEEN CLEARED AFTER 2 MONTHS. IN 25 PERCENT OF CASES INVESTIGATING OFFICERS SAID THE PHOTO-FIT HAD BEEN USEFUL. MOST OF THE COMPOSITES WERE USED WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OR WERE SHOWN TO RELEVANT MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC (DEALERS, PAWNBROKERS, ETC.) THE SURVEY POINTED OUT THAT THE KIT NEEDS TO BE EASILY PORTABLE BECAUSE MANY OF THE COMPOSITES ARE DEVELOPED EITHER IN A WITNESS'S HOME OR IN THE HOSPITAL. BETTER TRAINING IS ALSO URGED AS IS DELEGATION OF THE PHOTO-FIT OPERATION TO SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS WHO CAN BECOME MORE PROFICIENT IN THE TECHNIQUE. GREATER VARIETY OF HAIR STYLES AND GLASSES SHAPES ARE RECOMMENDED. A SYSTEM WHICH WILL ALLOW THE WITNESS TO CONCENTRATE ON THE TOTAL GEOMETRY OF THE FACE IS ALSO URGED. A COMPUTERIZED SYSTEM WHICH WILL USE A LIBRARY OF FEATURES DEVELOPED FROM DIGITISED PHOTOGRAPHS OF WHOLE FACES IS BEING STUDIED. THIS SYSTEM WILL ALLOW MANIPULATION OF VARIOUS FACETS OF THE COMPOSITE QUICKLY AND EASILY ON A TELEVISION SCREEN. IN ADDITION, THE EDGES OF THE VARIOUS AREAS WILL BE BLENDED AUTOMATICALLY TO AVOID DISCONTINUITIES OR SHARP BOUNDARIES. (GLR)