The State of Massachusetts has now introduced legislation requiring a judge’s authority before police officers can carry out automated facial recognition comparisons. Local officers are forbidden from carrying out the checks, which can only be carried out by State law enforcement agencies or the FBI. Washington State is also setting the pace in controlling computerised systems. See the article:
Feedback from February Course
/The February on-line course was attended by 34 students from four continents - Australia and Europe, together with North and South America.
The top scoring student was Daniel from England, he stated:
“Overall I found the course to be extremely in-depth for its 3 day turn around and provided excellent insight into the world of super recognition and its benefits whilst also teaching basic behavioural analysis, laws and report writing which are all vital in this particular field of surveillance. I found the all the talks from active super recognisers and experts within the field to be immensely useful and helped provide a real glimpse into the expected life and careers of being a super recogniser.”
Germán from Barcelona - “I found the course extremely valuable. Not only do you assess your potential as a Super Recogniser but you also learn all the legal things that are relevant to this job. Mike delivers a very good training course and participants also get to learn from other professionals, who are experts in their field. I particularly enjoyed the insight given by Kelly, who really brings alive what it is like to do such an interesting job. Everything was very nicely explained.”
Manuella from Brazil - “Taking part of the Course was a unique experience, once besides possibility of interaction with people from different places of the world and having similar skills, learning about super recognition was crucial. The speeches, which involved scientific and practical aspects regarding to Super-recognisers, were carried out brightly by qualified professionals, and that work in the field of super recognition in some way. It was worth getting involved in the Course and having discovered new things about this huge universe and full of possibilities.”
The next on-line courses are 25th-27th May and 7th-9th September. Association members are entitled to a discount.
Super Recognisers spread to Spain→
/Super Recognisers featured in an article in the best-selling Spanish newspaper “El Mundo”. If you wish to read the full article (the link has a paywall), email mike.neville@superrecognisersinternational.com for a PDF version.
https://www.elmundo.es/papel/historias/2021/02/22/602f97c0fdddff13788b45b4.html
Why Super Recognisers should check automated identifications→
/In the UK, no one can be arrested or searched due to a computerised facial recognition identification alone. According to the Surveillance Camera Commissioner’s Code of Practice there must be “human intervention” before such actions are taken and Super Recognisers are the ideal people to provide that. The false identification of suspects, particularly black men, in the US by automated systems shows why this rule should be adopted internationally.
Article by Dr Craig Donald→
/Association members who have attended a face-to-face course will recall the excellent input from Dr Donald on spotting suspicious behaviour. In this article, the South African behavioural expert discusses the use of CCTV to identify criminal conduct and how operators can read body language.
Cloaking Software to Defeat Automated Facial Recognition→
/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
CCTV User Group - Webinar on Super Recognisers→
/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:
Failings with Automated Facial Recognition Highlighted→
/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.
International Police Interest in Super Recognisers
/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.
Martyn's Law - Super Recognisers can help to prevent attacks→
/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.