Biometric Facial Recognition Technology Helps Track Down Crime Suspect

Thanks to a biometric facial recognition system, the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department in Washington State recently made an arrest that helped break up a local identity theft ring.

With the MorphoFace Investigate system from Sagem Morpho, the sheriff’s office identified the suspect by comparing a photo taken by an ATM to the department’s database of more than 350,000 mugshots.

“MorphoFace Investigate provided the evidence needed by a Superior Court Judge to determine probable cause and issue an arrest warrant,” said Eric Hess, Sagem Morpho product manager for biometrics. “This sets a new precedent in Pierce County for facial recognition biometrics.”

The sheriff’s department was the first law enforcement agency in the United States to deploy the company’s technology earlier this year.

In the pilot program, the sheriff’s department focused on the technology’s ability to help speed up the booking process by providing a secondary identification method. During booking, the department uses the Automated Fingerprint Identification System, also known as AFIS, to check if a suspect is in the criminal database. Fingerprint examiners then validate the results.

Adding MorphoFace Investigate technology for mugshot comparison allows staff to validate biometric IDs with a single examiner.

 “[MFI] eliminates 80 to 85 percent of the work in booking repeat offenders,” said Steve Wilkins, PCSD forensic investigations manager. “Within minutes, the criminal record can be updated.”

In September, the department used the technology to break open an alleged criminal ring that was stealing ATM cards and withdrawing money from the victims’ bank accounts.

Armed with only the grainy ATM photo taken of a suspect during one of the thefts, MorphoFace Investigate searched the database and returned two possible matches in less than 5 seconds.

Detectives then confirmed both matches were the same suspect with a history of prior identity theft offenses. With the facial biometric match and criminal history, the department had no problems receiving a search warrant to search the suspect’s residence. During the search, officers found evidence of identity theft and arrested the suspect, whose trial is pending.

“The nearly 95 percent success rate of accurately identifying suspects with the MFI system in Pierce County is impressive when you consider that some of the mug shots were more than 10 years old and that facial expressions run the gamut of emotions due to drugs alcohol, and illness not to mention the changes in facial hair,” Hess said. “Biometric facial recognition has evolved to where it has added a new dimension to evidence gathering and intelligence analysis as part of criminal investigations.”

About the Author

Brent Dirks is senior editor for Security Today and Campus Security Today magazines.

Featured

  • Allegion, Comfort Technologies Implement Mobile Credentials at the Artisan Apartment Homes in Florida

    Artisan Apartment Homes, a luxury apartment complex in Dunedin, Florida, recently transitioned from mechanical keys to electronic locks and centralized system software with support from Allegion US, a leading provider of security solutions, technology and services, and Florida-based Comfort Technologies, which specializes in deploying multifamily access control, IoT devices and software management solutions. Read Now

  • Mall of America Deploys AI-Powered Analytics to Enhance Parking Intelligence

    Mall of America®, the largest shopping and entertainment complex in North America, announced an expansion of its ongoing partnership with Axis Communications to deploy cutting-edge car-counting video analytics across more than a dozen locations. With this expansion, Mall of America (MOA) has boosted operational efficiency, improved safety and security, and enabled more informed decision-making around employee scheduling and streamlining transportation for large events. Read Now

  • Security Industry Association Launches New “askSIA” AI Tool

    The Security Industry Association (SIA) has unveiled a brand-new SIA member benefit – askSIA, a conversational AI agent designed to help users get the most out of their SIA membership, easily access SIA resources and find the latest information on SIA’s training and courses, reports and publications, events, certification offerings and more. SIA members can easily find askSIA by visiting the SIA homepage or looking for the askSIA icon in the top left of webpages. Read Now

    • Industry Events
  • Industry Embraces Mobile Access, Biometrics and AI

    A combination of evolving workplace dynamics, technology innovation and new user expectations is changing how people enter and interact with physical spaces. Access control is at the heart of these changes. Combined with biometrics and AI, mobile access control has become increasingly crucial for deploying entry solutions that are seamless, secure and adaptive to user needs. Read Now

  • Sustainable Video Solution Delivered for Landmark City of London Office Development

    An advanced, end-to-end video solution from IDIS, with a focus on reducing waste and costs, has helped a major office development in the City of London align its security with sustainability objectives. Read Now

New Products

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

  • Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems, an industry-leading manufacturer of pedestrian and vehicle secure entrance control access systems, is pleased to announce the release of its groundbreaking V07 software. The V07 software update is designed specifically to address cybersecurity concerns and will ensure the integrity and confidentiality of Automatic Systems applications. With the new V07 software, updates will be delivered by means of an encrypted file.