Latest Research - Identification when Face Masks Worn

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The latest research from Prof Josh Davis & others is below. The full report is found via the link.

Abstract

Face masks present a new challenge to face identification (here matching) and emotion recognition in Western cultures. Here, we present the results of three experiments that test the effect of masks, and also the effect of sunglasses (an occlusion that individuals tend to have more experienced with) on (i) familiar face matching, (ii) unfamiliar face matching and (iii) emotion categorization. Occlusion reduced accuracy in all three tasks, with most errors in the mask condition; however, there was little difference in performance for faces in masks compared with faces in sunglasses. Super-recognizers, people who are highly skilled at matching unconcealed faces, were impaired by occlusion, but at the group level, performed with higher accuracy than controls on all tasks. Results inform psychology theory with implications for everyday interactions, security and policing in a mask-wearing society.

The effect of face masks and sunglasses on identity and expression recognition with super-recognizers and typical observers | Royal Society Open Science (royalsocietypublishing.org)

Super Recognisers to Target Sex Offenders

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This article shows the problem of sex attacks on women in the UK. The issue of VAWG (violence against women & girls) is a priority for the police. Thames Valley Police, a real innovative force, are using human Super Recognisers, recruited from their officers and staff, to pro-actively spot known and suspected sex offenders, especially during the evening and night. Offenders can then be deterred and, where needed, arrested. Why not find the members of your team with this natural skill?? Make communities safer and target offenders with your Super Recognisers.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/24594415/uks-most-dangerous-areas-rape-and-sexual-assault/

New Year Discount on SRI Courses

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New year - new skills? The New Year sale has begun - SRI Ltd are offering a 30% discount on their on-line human Super Recogniser Courses, if booked by 15th January 2024. Courses will run 27th-29th February and 18th-20th June.

These include intensive testing to establish your exact super recogniser skills (short / long term memory, matches faces and spotting faces in crowds). You will also be instructed in SR tactics and relevant laws and Codes of Practice (including how to work with computerised facial recognition) - with fun and realistic exercises. AND what will crime be like in ten years time AND how can SRs fight it???

For more details see the website. Add an extra tactic to make communities and venues safer. AND identify more criminals or vulnerable people.

Online Super Recogniser Course & Training (superrecognisersinternational.com)

Thames Valley Police SR - Identified Burglar & Fraudster Sent to Jail

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Some great work by Thames Valley Police in bringing this man to justice. Dwayne Brown committed burglary and fraud against elderly victims and was identified from an image with help of a human Super Recogniser - and a civilian member of staff - and not an officer - showing that SRs can be in many places in an organisation.

TVP also use their SRs to proactively identify offenders on the street who commit violence against women and girls (VAWG).

The full story is here:

https://www.miltonkeynes.co.uk/news/people/man-who-targeted-elderly-victims-jailed-for-burglary-fraud-and-other-offences-in-milton-keynes-4433452

Working as a Super Recogniser at YOTI

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Human Super Recognisers can be used in all manner of law enforcement, border control, CCTV, security and military roles, and they are also excellent at checking identification and related documents. Here is an article about Lou Bruder, a Licentiate of the Association of Super Recognisers, and her work at YOTI, a company which verifies identification and other important documents. Louise describes what it is like to work as a Super Recogniser.

YOTI are great supporters of the Association and have sponsored our presentation day on several occasions.

https://wearetechwomen.com/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-super-recogniser-at-digital-identity-firm-yoti/

Australian Super Recognisers - Article

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An interesting article on the use of human Super Recognisers in the Queensland Police in Australia - with Senior Sergeant Chris Tritton (an Honorary Fellow of the Association) describing several successful cases where his team of SRs have made identifications. Also note that the team are used to verify suspects identified by computerised facial recognition software. If you are a senior officer or manager in a law enforcement agency, border patrol, military unit, security company or CCTV control room, you already have such people. My team can find them and train them to use their natural skill to produce admissible evidence and make places safer. If you are such a manager - why wouldn't you want to know that you had staff with this skill??

 https://cosmosmagazine.com/people/society/super-recognisers-police/

Super Recogniser On Line Courses 2024 - Dates

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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 - New Zealand Research

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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:

https://www.bethanygrowns.com/are-you-a-super-matcher

Super Recognisers Protected King Charles

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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