A suspect caught on camera in a criminal investigation is always a bonus for police. But as investigators well know, it does not always result in a successful prosecution.
But now, in a world first, police nationwide are adopting special 3-D computer imaging technology to remove the guesswork when it comes to matching video footage with a suspect in custody.
The three-dimensional face image identification system is now being introduced by the National Police Agency (NPA) to major police stations across the country.
Police are able to use the machine to create a three-dimensional image of a suspect's face after an arrest in order to match images taken by security cameras.
The NPA's National Research Institute of Police Science (NRIPS) in Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture, first introduced the machine in 2000.
In 2003, the system began being set up at major police stations around the nation. Police in Japan are the only law-enforcement body in the world to use the system.
Until the end of 2006, police used the machine in a total of 140 cases.
And each year, the number of cases has increased. In 2005, the identification system was used in 22 cases. In 2006, the number increased to 82.
The machine allows police to match a 3-D image of a suspect's face with an image taken by a security camera, no matter which way the individual was facing.
Even if part of the face is covered with a mask or sunglasses, the machine can still compare faces using outlines or the position of ears and eyebrows.
In some cases, a suspect's 3-D facial images made after an arrest were strikingly similar to images taken by security cameras. As a result, police were able to successfully prosecute suspects who had denied involvement in any wrongdoing.
Here's how the system works:
The suspect in police custody first sits on a chair. A police officer takes photos of the person's face using two cameras--one on the right side, the other on the left. From the images a 3-D image is created. Photos are also taken from the front and from the sides.
The police then complete the 3-D image by adding other details such as eye and skin. The process takes about five minutes.
Police officers then match the angle of the image to that taken from the security camera for a possible match.
In the future, a database of 3-D images will be created to help police identify suspects.
"The images taken by security cameras will become more valuable as a resource to help investigations," said Sachio Miyasaka, an NRIPS executive.(IHT/Asahi: May 4,2007)
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