Prof Josh Davis of Greenwich University appeared on London Live and explained how human Super Recognisers can help in the fight against crime and make places safer.
https://www.londonlive.co.uk/news/are-you-a-super-recogniser-how-facial-recognition-skills-can-help-fight-crime-in-london/
It has been confirmed that the first two SRI on line courses will be run 27th - 29th February and 18th - 20th June. The objectives of the course are as follows:
· To complete final testing to identify short term, long term and crowd identification Super Recogniser skills.
· To ensure students have a knowledge of legal, evidential & data protection issues relating to Super Recognisers (some sections relate to UK and EU law, but generic rules will apply to all jurisdictions and US and Australian law is noted)
· To enhance Super Recognisers with behavioural detection training.
· To brief Super Recognisers on current threats and future crime trends.
· To train Super Recognisers in operational tactics.
· To test these abilities by realistic exercises.
Some feedback from the last course:
"The course offered a great overview on both scientific and practical aspects of face recognition. I found the real-life examples of various surveillance situations and criminal and legal cases particularly useful, since I do not have a background in law enforcement or security. I appreciated that we got to learn from experienced professionals, and that we were also actively involved in exercises and encouraged to reflect on the discussed topics."
Anna, Finland
Super Matchers are a sub-set of Super Recognition abilities and relates to people who are very good at matching an image to another image (say comparing a CCTV image to a “mugshot”) or an image to a face (the task a border control officer performs when checking a passport). It not only relates to faces, but also shapes, which is very useful for Fingerprint Officers. An article on the latest research into this area from the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand, together with a test can be found on this link:
The article below describes how a Thames Valley Police Super Recogniser helped to enhance the security at the King’s coronation. This pro-active use of SRs can make places and venues safer.
'I'm a Super Recogniser and scoured Coronation crowd for wrong 'uns to keep King safe' - Daily Star
The successful Thames Valley Police use of human Super Recognisers to target suspects engaged in VAWG (Violence Against Women & Girls) and other offenders featured in yesterday's Media Day and have been reported on the BBC, as well as local media stations. For a report see this link:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-66609161
Here is an academic view on human Super Recognisers from Professor Josh Davis of Greenwich University as featured on The Perception Podcast. Listen to Josh as he explains how he began his research and his latest findings.
https://omny.fm/shows/the-perception-podcast/professor-josh-davis
From the article:
Porcha Woodruff was eight months pregnant when police in Detroit, Michigan came to arrest her on charges of carjacking and robbery. She was getting her two children ready for school when six police officers knocked on her door and presented her with an arrest warrant. She thought it was a prank.
“Are you kidding, carjacking? Do you see that I am eight months pregnant?” the lawsuit Woodruff filed against Detroit police reads. She sent her children upstairs to tell her fiance that “Mommy’s going to jail”.
…Woodruff later found out that she was the latest victim of false identification by facial recognition. After her image was incorrectly matched to video footage of a woman at the gas station where the carjacking took place, her picture was shown to the victim in a photo lineup. According to the lawsuit, the victim allegedly chose Woodruff’s picture as the woman who was associated with the perpetrator of the robbery. Nowhere in the investigator’s report did it say the woman in the video footage was pregnant. A month later the charges were dismissed due to insufficient evidence (full article link is below).
The view from the Association: In the UK and EU, no arrests can be made from an automated facial recognition (AFR) identification unless there has been "human intervention". The best person to verify an identification is a Super Recogniser - the US agency NIST stated that combining AFR with a Super Recogniser produced "near perfect results". If police agencies have invested in computer facial recognition, they should ensure that they also invest in the best humans to make it even more effective. Reports such as those quoted will result in more restrictions and even bans on the use of AI by security and law enforcement...so this Association strongly recommends the use of the best people to check identifications before making arrests.
The CEO of the Association contacted all English Premier League football clubs as follows:
Premiership matches (and other sporting events) face three safety challenges this season and I believe that my team can assist you. These challenges are:
1. Preventing “Just Stop Oil” from fulfilling their threat to disrupt at least one match per week.
2. Demonstrating efforts to comply with the forthcoming Martyn’s Law (Protect Duty).
3. Ensuring banned fans do not enter and engage in illegal chanting, racist comments or other criminal behaviour.
SRI Ltd are experts in selecting, training and providing human Super Recognisers. These are people with a natural (and exceptional) ability to spot faces. I can establish which of your stewards (or other staff) have this exceptional skill (assessed by academic experts) and train them to use it in an operational environment, complying with the law. These Super Recognisers can be then deployed to critical entry points, the CCTV control room or other key positions to spot those banned or intent on causing crime or disruption. I can also provide experienced Super Recognisers to assist them. If you are using computer facial recognition, then Super Recognisers will enhance this technology, if not, they are a far cheaper alternative.
Details of the threat from JSO are in this LBC story:
'The Prem's our Holy Grail': Just Stop Oil plan to disrupt a Premier League game every... - LBC
Identification parade evidence, especially from members of the public, who have just been the victim or witness of a dreadful crime (a very stressful event), is fraught with danger. Such is the problem, that judges are required to give a warning to juries (in UK based on R v Turnbull). The case below highlights how the wrong person can be sent to jail on such evidence. Should we not test the ability of a witness as to their skill at making identifications? This could show the value to place on their evidence - allowing investigators and prosecutors to make informed decisions. Our Super Recogniser tests identify not only those who are very good at recognising faces, but also those with average or very poor ability. This could assist law enforcement AND defence counsel. Justice can benefit from this.
https://news.sky.com/story/andrew-malkinson-man-wrongly-jailed-for-17-years-hits-out-at-lying-police-and-says-he-was-kidnapped-by-the-state-12928036
Click here for further details
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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