Merseyside crime fighting steps into the 21st century

Oct 23 2007 by Caroline Innes, Liverpool Daily Post

THE days of old-style police “mug shots” of offenders have taken a leap into the 21st century thanks to state-of-the art digital cameras introduced in Merseyside.

Senior officers say the new Digital Image Booths (DIB) installed in all custody suites will speed up verification of offenders, and make a dramatic difference to their ability to tackle crime and free officers from paperwork so they can spend more time policing the streets.

Merseyside is the first force in the country to use DIBs, and last night Assistant Chief Constable Simon Byrne said it was their commitment to cutting edge technology that was putting the force at the forefront of new innovations in crime fighting.

After being trialled for three months in Wirral, he said the force had now invested £40,000 on the £5,000 units, which in time will be connected to CCTV systems around the region and other police databases.

ACC Byrne said: “We have a strong focus on technology and are always looking at what is new in the outside world and how it can be used in crime fighting.

“We discovered the DIBs at Merseyside police’s technology fair and have seen in our trial what a significant impact they have had on our ability to do our job effectively and quickly.

“This latest technology forms just part of the armoury in our Total War on Crime. The booths and recognition system represents the force’s determination to invest in the future of crime fighting and will help us realise our ambition to become the best Force in the UK.

“Better identification helps to build stronger cases, which makes offenders more likely to plead guilty. This in turn spares victims and witnesses the ordeal of a court case, but ultimately save the tax payers money.

“During the test period, the DIB proved that it was able to consistently capture high quality images, which combined with a further investment in the Digital Image Recognition System, means that verification of offenders is quick and easy.

“We can get officers back on patrol as soon as possible which is where the public want them to be.”

With 2,700 facial reference points, in the future, the system, provided by suppliers

Omniperception, will used be to accurately match photographs of offenders with other evidential images, including CCTV images, with the aim of helping to bring about convictions in cases where identification of offenders is key.

carolineinnes