A new software named Fawkes has been developed in the US to subtly alter images on social media, so they cannot be matched using artificial intelligence. Another good reason for law enforcement to use HUMAN Super Recognisers! See the full article here:
Cloak your photos with this AI privacy tool to fool facial recognition - The Verge
The CCTV User Group (also known as the National Association of Surveillance Camera Managers) is hosting a webinar on Thursday 25th February and asking the question: Should CCTV control room employ Super Recognisers?
You can book a place using this link:
The attached article shows how automated or computerised facial recognition is NOT a panacea to spotting criminals. The article highlights the following issues:
13000 faces were scanned resulting in just ONE arrest
Facial recognition devices identified the wrong person seven out of eight times
Cameras failed to spot any suspects out of 4,600 faces in London last February
Campaigners say cameras are 'dangerously inaccurate and waste public money
Human Super Recognisers can make such systems more effective. BUT humans are also cheaper and more effective. AND their identifications can be used as EVIDENCE in court.
Mike Neville has been asked to speak to two influential police committees regarding Super Recognisers. This month he is speaking to the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) CCTV Group. This is currently led by South Wales Police, but has representatives from police forces from all over England & Wales and the British Transport Police, which covers the UK.
Next month, he is delivering a presentation to the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), a worldwide body, with lots of US law enforcement agencies as members.
This will spread the word regarding our specialism. and create opportunities for employment.
This month, the UK government will begin to consult the public on the introduction of “Martyn’s Law”. This is named after Martyn Hett - one of the victims of the Manchester Arena terrorist attack, which resulted in 22 deaths after a concert in May 2017.
The Manchester Evening News reports that “Private and public owners of venues and sites currently have no obligation to act on free advice given to them from specialist counter-terrorism advisers about threats of a terrorist attack and how to mitigate the risk. Ministers announced new 'Protect Duty' legislation, which builds on the proposals for Martyn's Law…”. Full story on the link.
The standard of security and policing at the event was strongly condemned by lawyers representing the bereaved families. See this report by the BBC:
Manchester Arena Inquiry: Failures 'fundamental and chronic' - BBC News (ampproject.org)
The Association of Super Recognisers will ensure that the government is aware of the value of SRs in the fight against terrorism. We will be involved in the consultation.
All Licensed Super Recognisers are trained in privacy and data protection laws and Codes of Practice. These are covered in detail on our courses, whether on-line or face-to-face.
This case in Texas shows why such input is essential for anyone entrusted with surveillance equipment.
This article appeared in the Daily Mail. PC Tony Barnes was a colleague of Mike Neville.
PC Tony Barnes has spent seven years as the Met Police's only e-fit artist
The art school dropout, 54, was picked for the job after he was caught drawing pictures of fellow police officers
One of his proudest achievements was helping to catch convicted rapist Derry McCann who attacked a woman in Victoria Park on the day of his wedding
Barnes is due to retire in March and is training four new officers in the art of the e-fit
An artist-turned police officer is hanging up his virtual pen after 15 years depicting some of Britain's most notorious criminals.
Over his career, PC Tony Barnes has worked to recreate the likenesses of killers, rapists, robbers and thieves in a bid to bring them to justice.
As the Metropolitan Police's sole e-fit operator for seven years, the 54-year-old said he is the only officer in London who is paid to draw pictures all day long.
A fitting tribute to his work has been created to mark PC Barnes' retirement - his very own e-fit.
But attempting to accurately generate a suspect's face from only a witness or victim's account can produce some controversial results.
While many e-fits have led to the successful identification of dangerous crooks, some have drawn criticism for hairstyles and facial features that appear bizarre and unrealistic at first glance.
However PC Barnes insists ridicule of computer-aided e-fits can be unfair given that many of the details are provided by traumatised victims.
'I'd be lying if I said I hadn't laughed at some of the e-fits I have seen over the years. I bet you have as well,' Barnes told SWNS news agency.
'The truth is that every e-fit that you see in the press or on TV is not the vision of the police office or police staff member.
'It is what the witness has described to those officers. Sure, the artistic skills of some of the composite artists may be lacking at times, but that image only appears for public consumption if the witness says there is a likeness to the suspect.
'I have pride in all the images that I have helped create over the years, even if some very old images look unrealistic by today's standards.'
One of the e-fits PC Barnes is most proud of led to the conviction of Derry McCann, who raped a 24-year-old woman whom he did not know in Victoria Park in London in 2016 just hours before he married the cousin of footballer Harry Kane.
Derry had been freed for a similar attack in 2006 but was released nine years later after successfully challenging his sentence.
'Of course not all e-fit images lead to an arrest but lots have, including the conviction of Derry McCann,' Barnes said, adding that McCann was then sentenced to life in prison.
PC Barnes said that his work identifies suspects at a rate of at least one in four.
He transferred to the Met from Essex Police in 2006 and has been the force's only e-fit operator since 2013.
Prior to joining the police, Barnes dropped out of art school. He was put on Scotland Yard's e-fit team after he was caught sketching colleagues.
Despite the rise of CCTV, facial recognition software and mobile phone footage, e-fits still provide a valuable tool to police searching for suspects who did not appear on camera or who have hidden their faces, Barnes said.
'People sometimes ask whether e-fits are still needed today, given the extent of CCTV and other technology.
'While it's of course true that these things have diminished the need for e-fits in some ways, there are always criminals who lurk in the shadows and manage to evade any cameras.
'That's where we come in and why I think there will always be a place for what we do.'
Over his career, PC Barnes said that he has interviewed more than 2,000 witnesses in every borough of the capital.
Despite the high numbers of witnesses and their different backgrounds, Barnes said all the people he'd interviewed had 'one thing in common'.
'They had either been the victim of, or witness to a crime. Some of them, very serious indeed. This is something that is often forgotten by the press.'
PC Barnes also joked that he was the most published artist in the Evening Standard after Banksy.
'I like to tell people one of two things about me. Either that I'm the most published artist in the Evening Standard or that I'm the only police officer in London who's paid to draw pictures all day long.
'Both are true I think, although Banksy gets his fair share of column space.
'Whatever I tell people, I know that I have been incredibly lucky to do something at work that I love doing. Not only can I use my natural creative talents, but I get to meet very interesting people.
'I joined as a PC but when I saw this opportunity, I knew it was right for me and that's proved exactly right.'
PC Barnes will be retiring in March after helping to show four new recruits the ropes.
The new officers have received the national training accreditation in e-fit and are currently being taught about the world of composite images.
Barnes joked that while he's a 'very strict teacher' for now, after retiring he'll be: 'off to the countryside in a floppy hat and a smock to paint until the sun goes down'.
English & German transcipts are below.
English Version:
Super Recogniser
Memory Man
Andy Pope has recognized more than 2,000 criminals on the streets of Birmingham - more than almost any other. That makes him one of the most effective weapons of the police.
SPIEGEL: Mr. Pope, what is the first thing you look at in a face when you talk to a person?
Andy Pope: To identify people, their eyebrows help me. They are unique to everyone. Otherwise, I look at the face as a whole, unless someone has something as noticeable as a scar or a mole.
Pope: You're one of the few people in the world who can memorize countless faces and recognize criminals in crowds on surveillance videos years later. You have already identified more than 2,000 criminals for the police. When did you realize you had this special ability?
SPIEGEL: My boss made me aware of this. He told me that he had never met anyone who recognized so many people. He said: It is not normal what I am doing.
Pope: Have you never noticed that before?
SPIEGEL: Well, maybe on TV. I actually always know which actor has played elsewhere. Even if I saw the series or films years ago. I used to tell my wife this too, but I thought it was something anyone could do.
Pope: How long do you have to see a face to be able to remember it?
SPIEGEL: Sometimes it is enough to see it briefly, sometimes I have to look at it several times.
Pope: How many faces can you remember?
SPIEGEL: I cannot say this exactly. But when I watch surveillance videos or go on patrol, I always see a lot of people whose faces I remember. So I think I have quite a few faces in my head.
SPIEGEL: Do you remember every face that you see?
Pope: I don't think I can do that. Unfortunately.
SPIEGEL: You even recognize people when they wear a face mask. What is the most important feature on a face to remember?
Pope: Unless it's something as obvious as a birthmark or thick eyebrows, I can never explain why or how I recognize a person. I look at the face and I just know this person has to be it.
SPIEGEL: Have you ever wrongly identified someone as a criminal?
Pope: Yes, I've already made mistakes. Last year we did arrest someone who I believed had committed a serious crime. But it wasn't him. That was frustrating and I was pretty mad at myself. Fortunately, we found the right culprit just one day later.
SPIEGEL: How often do you watch surveillance videos?
Pope: Every shift. I look at the recordings from the cameras installed in the places where I am out on the day. Then I know who to look for.
SPIEGEL: And then you walk through Birmingham looking for suspected perpetrators?
Pope: Yeah, exactly. But I also take buses, trams and trains, look around train stations and sometimes also in football stadiums. Usually a colleague is with me.
SPIEGEL: Have you ever gotten into a dangerous situation because you recognized a criminal?
Pope: A few years ago we were in the city center and we got closer to a man. And I knew he looked like someone we were looking for. I told my colleague that if he has a mole under his left eye now, then it is him.
SPIEGEL: What happened then?
Pope: I looked straight at him and he had the mole. We tried to hold on to him, but he got away and ran into a mall. At some point he took a pair of scissors from a shop and threatened us. Fortunately, there were a few other police officers around. We could arrest him.
SPIEGEL: How do people react when they notice that you look at them directly?
Pope: They are confused. I will then explain to them why I am doing this. For example, I say that they look like someone from a surveillance camera video who has committed a crime. For some this is completely okay, others naturally get angry.
SPIEGEL: In one day you identified 17 criminals.
Pope: I came back to work after a few weeks of vacation and wanted to see what I had missed during that time. So I looked at quite a few stills from surveillance cameras and was able to recognize 17 criminals. It's my record, but I don't think I'll be able to do it again.
SPIEGEL: Why not?
Pope:
SPIEGEL: Don’t criminals disguise themselves in public?
Pope: Some try to change their appearance, others are not aware that a camera recorded their crime. For example, they walk around in the clothes they wore during the crime. Some continue to commit crimes until they are caught.
SPIEGEL: Do you also recognize people who you saw only briefly years ago?
Pope: I was once able to identify someone who two years ago had committed a crime on a bus. I had seen his photo on our system and remembered it was him. He was then arrested. That was awesome.
SPIEGEL: Can you always remember the names or where you've seen the criminals?
Pope: Most of the time I can also remember the names. But sometimes not, and that's very frustrating because I know that I've seen the person before, but I can't place where that was.
SPIEGEL: Doesn't that make you crazy?
Pope: Absolutely. I then sit there and think and think while holding my head in my hands.
SPIEGEL: And then what?
Pope: At some point I have to come to terms with not being able to identify the person. But there are also those whose names I don't immediately think of. But then maybe after weeks or months. I try to make a mental note of each face. And when I'm on the patrol, I always look around for these people.
SPIEGEL: Do you train so that you can remember faces even better?
Pope: Either you are a Super Recognizer or you are not. I don't think you can train that.
SPIEGEL: Do you also take a closer look at people in your free time?
Pope: Yes, my wife has told me off. When we're shopping or in a park and I see someone who looks even a little suspicious, I walk up to that person and look at them. And my wife says, "You're not at work, stop that."
SPIEGEL: How can you switch off?
Pope: That's difficult. When I drive home from work, I keep looking around for people who are wanted by the police. When I come in the door can I switch off. But even then, I sometimes remember the names of criminals or I can assign them all of a sudden.
SPIEGEL: Do your children have your talent?
Pope: I sometimes test my eleven-year-old son in front of the television and ask him: "Where have you seen this guy before?" In nine out of ten cases he's right.
SPIEGEL: Are you also good at memory? It's kind of like recognizing faces.
Pope: I am only really good in recognizing faces well. I have a hard time remembering anniversaries and birthdays.
German version
SPIEGEL: Herr Pope, worauf schauen Sie als Erstes, wenn Sie jemanden treffen?
Andy Pope: Um Menschen zu identifizieren, helfen mir die Augenbrauen. Sie sind bei jedem einzigartig. Ansonsten schaue ich auf das Gesicht als Ganzes, es sei denn, jemand hat so etwas Auffälliges wie eine Narbe oder einen Leberfleck.
SPIEGEL: Sie sind eine der wenigen Personen auf der Welt, die sich unzählige Gesichter merken und Kriminelle selbst Jahre später in Menschenmengen in Überwachungsvideos wiedererkennen können. Für die Polizei haben Sie schon mehr als 2000 Kriminelle identifiziert. Wann haben Sie gemerkt, dass Sie diese spezielle Fähigkeit besitzen?
Pope: Mein Chef hat mich darauf aufmerksam gemacht. Er sagte mir, er habe noch nie jemanden erlebt, der so viele Menschen wiedererkannt hat. Das sei nicht normal, was ich da mache.
SPIEGEL: Ist Ihnen das früher nie aufgefallen?
Pope: Na ja, vielleicht im Fernsehen. Da weiß ich eigentlich immer, welcher Schauspieler schon woanders mitgespielt hat. Selbst wenn ich die Serien oder Filme vor Jahren gesehen habe. Ich habe das auch immer meiner Frau erzählt, aber ich dachte, das sei etwas, das jeder könnte.
SPIEGEL: Wie lange müssen Sie ein Gesicht gesehen haben, um es sich merken zu können?
Pope: Manchmal reicht es, wenn ich es nur kurz sehe, manchmal muss ich mir es mehrmals anschauen.
SPIEGEL: Wie viele Gesichter können Sie sich merken?
Pope: Das kann ich nicht genau sagen. Aber wenn ich mir Überwachungsvideos ansehe oder auf Streife bin, sehe ich immer sehr viele Menschen, deren Gesichter ich mir merke. Ich glaube also, ich habe ziemlich viele Gesichter in meinem Kopf.
SPIEGEL: Merken Sie sich jedes Gesicht, das Sie sehen?
Pope: Ich glaube nicht, dass ich das kann. Leider.
SPIEGEL: Sie erkennen sogar Menschen, wenn sie einen Mund-Nasen-Schutz tragen. Was ist das wichtigste Merkmal in einem Gesicht, um es sich zu merken?
Pope: Wenn es nicht so etwas Offensichtliches ist, wie ein Muttermal oder dicke Augenbrauen, kann ich nie erklären, warum oder woran ich eine Person erkenne. Ich schaue mir das Gesicht an und weiß einfach, diese Person muss es sein.
SPIEGEL: Haben Sie schon mal jemanden fälschlicherweise als Kriminellen identifiziert?
Pope: Ja, ich habe schon Fehler gemacht. Erst im vergangenen Jahr haben wir jemanden festgenommen, von dem ich glaubte, er hätte eine schwere Straftat begangen. Aber er war es nicht. Das war frustrierend, und ich war ziemlich wütend auf mich selbst. Aber zum Glück haben wir nur einen Tag später den richtigen Täter gefunden.
SPIEGEL: Wie oft schauen Sie sich Überwachungsvideos an?
Pope: In jeder Schicht. Ich schaue mir die Aufnahmen der Kameras an, die an den Orten installiert sind, an denen ich an dem Tag unterwegs bin. Dann weiß ich, nach wem ich Ausschau halten muss.
SPIEGEL: Und dann laufen Sie durch Birmingham und suchen nach mutmaßlichen Tätern?
Pope: Ja, genau. Ich fahre aber auch mit Bussen, Straßenbahnen und Zügen, schaue mich an Bahnhöfen um und manchmal auch in Fußballstadien. Meistens ist ein Kollege dabei.
SPIEGEL: Sind Sie schon mal in eine gefährliche Situation geraten, weil Sie einen Kriminellen erkannt haben?
Pope: Vor ein paar Jahren waren wir in der Innenstadt unterwegs und kamen einem Mann näher. Und ich wusste, der sieht so aus wie jemand, den wir suchten. Ich sagte meinem Kollegen, wenn der jetzt ein Leberfleck unter dem linken Auge hat, dann ist er es.
SPIEGEL: Was ist dann passiert?
Pope: Ich sah ihn direkt an, und er hatte den Leberfleck. Wir versuchten, ihn festzuhalten, aber er entwischte uns und rannte in ein Einkaufszentrum. Irgendwann nahm er sich aus einem Geschäft eine Schere und bedrohte uns. Zum Glück waren ein paar andere Polizisten in der Nähe. Wir konnten ihn festnehmen.
SPIEGEL: Wie reagieren Menschen, wenn Sie merken, dass Sie sie direkt anschauen?
Pope: Die sind schon irritiert. Ich erkläre ihnen dann, warum ich das mache. Ich sage etwa, dass sie so ähnlich aussehen wie jemand aus dem Video einer Überwachungskamera, der eine Straftat begangen hat. Für manche ist das völlig okay, andere werden da natürlich wütend.
SPIEGEL: Sie haben an einem Tag schon einmal 17 Kriminelle identifiziert.
Pope: Ich bin nach einigen Wochen Urlaub wieder zur Arbeit gekommen und wollte schauen, was ich in dieser Zeit alles verpasst hatte. Also sah ich mir ziemlich viele Standbilder von Überwachungskameras an und konnte 17 Kriminelle wiedererkennen. Das ist mein Rekord, aber ich glaube nicht, dass ich das noch mal schaffen werde.
SPIEGEL: Warum nicht?
Pope: Dafür habe ich den ganzen Tag gebraucht, und ich glaube nicht, dass ich noch einmal so viel Zeit dafür haben werde. Ich glaube auch, ich hatte an diesem Tag einfach richtig viel Glück.
SPIEGEL: Tarnen sich gesuchte Kriminelle in der Öffentlichkeit nicht?
Pope: Manche versuchen, ihr Erscheinungsbild zu verändern, andere sind sich nicht bewusst, dass eine Kamera ihre Straftat aufgezeichnet hat. Sie laufen dann zum Beispiel auch in der Kleidung herum, die sie während der Tat trugen. Manche begehen weitere Straftaten, bis sie geschnappt werden.
SPIEGEL: Erkennen Sie auch Menschen, die Sie vor Jahren nur kurz gesehen haben?
Pope: Ich habe einmal jemanden identifizieren können, der zwei Jahre zuvor in einem Bus eine Straftat begangen hatte. Ich hatte sein Foto in unserem System gesehen und erinnerte mich daran, dass er es war. Er wurde dann verhaftet. Das war schon krass.
SPIEGEL: Können Sie sich auch immer an die Namen erinnern oder daran, wo Sie die Kriminellen gesehen haben?
Pope: Meistens kann ich mich auch an die Namen erinnern. Manchmal aber auch nicht, und das ist sehr frustrierend, weil ich weiß, dass ich die Person kenne, aber nicht zuordnen kann woher.
SPIEGEL: Macht Sie das nicht wahnsinnig?
Pope: Absolut. Ich sitze dann da und überlege und überlege und halte dabei meinen Kopf in den Händen.
SPIEGEL: Und dann?
Pope: Irgendwann muss ich mich damit abfinden, die Person nicht zuordnen zu können. Aber es gibt auch diejenigen, bei denen mir der Name nicht sofort einfällt. Aber dann vielleicht nach Wochen oder Monaten. Ich versuche, mir eine mentale Notiz von jedem Gesicht zu machen. Und wenn ich dann auf Streife bin, schaue ich mich immer nach diesen Menschen um.
SPIEGEL: Trainieren Sie, um sich Gesichter noch besser merken zu können?
Pope: Entweder man ist ein Super-Recognizer oder nicht. Ich glaube nicht, dass man das trainieren kann.
SPIEGEL: Schauen Sie sich auch in Ihrer Freizeit die Leute genauer an?
Pope: Ja, meine Frau hat deswegen schon oft mit mir geschimpft. Wenn wir einkaufen sind oder in einem Park, und ich sehe jemanden, der auch nur ein bisschen verdächtig aussieht, dann gehe ich auf diese Person zu und schaue sie mir an. Und meine Frau sagt: »Du bist nicht bei der Arbeit, hör auf damit.«
SPIEGEL: Wie können Sie abschalten?
Pope: Das ist schwer. Wenn ich von der Arbeit nach Hause fahre, schaue ich mich weiter nach Menschen um, die von der Polizei gesucht werden. Erst wenn ich zur Tür reinkomme, kann ich abschalten. Aber auch dann fallen mir manchmal noch die Namen von Kriminellen ein, oder ich kann sie ganz plötzlich zuordnen.
SPIEGEL: Haben Ihre Kinder Ihr Talent?
Pope: Ich teste manchmal meinen elfjährigen Sohn vor dem Fernseher und frage ihn: »Wo hast du den schon mal gesehen?« In neun von zehn Fällen hat er recht.
SPIEGEL: Sind Sie auch gut in Memory? Das ist doch so ähnlich wie Gesichter erkennen.
Pope: Ich erkenne nur Gesichter wirklich gut wieder. Ich kann mir ganz schlecht Jahrestage und Geburtstage merken.
Wollen Sie selbst herausfinden, ob Sie ein Super Recogniser sind? Hier können Sie den Test machen.
ReplyForward
MM
Professor Josh Davis of Greenwich University gives an interview on the value of Super Recognition - not just in law enforcement and security, but also in retail and hospitality. Being able to recognise important customers can make a real difference.
Prof Davis also emphasises that humans should always be the final decision makers when identifications are made by Artificial Intelligence
He also gives an interesting insight into how he came to be the academic expert on Super Recognisers.
The Association of Super Recognisers has teamed up with the Association of British Investigators to offer Super Recogniser courses. The ABI is the professional body for private investigators in the United Kingdom and has a clear statement of ethics and professional standards for its members. For ABI members details are on the link below.
Events | ABI: Association of British Investigators (theabi.org.uk)
The ASR is the professional body representing those who possess the super recogniser skills around the globe. Via our associate scheme, you will be able to access the latest developments in the science of super recognition, browse job opportunities and contact other practitioners from around the globe who share your unique skills and abilities. After a certain period of years in practice, you may even be invited to become a Fellow of the Association.
Have you got an amazing memory for human faces? Your skill could help law enforcement, security companies, Armed Forces or other organisations. You may just want to use your skill for fun OR are simply interested in Super Recognition.
There is NO need to have a background in security, the military or law enforcement. Super Recognisers come from a wide variety of backgrounds.
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