Police in Tuscon, AZ are using a software program called Faces to make composite drawings of suspects. Gone are the days when police used a pencil and paper to try and render a image of a bad guy. The software takes about 90 minutes to complete a rendering of the suspect which than can be used on wanted posters. In Tuscon the police have found this a very effective way in arresting suspects in high profiles cases. The Web site of KVOA News 4 from Tucson states:

The program, which hit the market in 1998, is touted by “America’s Most Wanted” and the FBI and has been used by Tucson police for the past two years.

One of the Tucson Police Department’s most recent successes was the composite of the man accused of mugging and nearly killing University of Arizona graduate student Francisco Baires in June. Ryan Robert Baker, 27, was arrested about a week after a composite was made public.

“The computer does all the work,” Walker said, thumbing through a Faces catalog of characteristics featuring 21 categories that include everything from eyebrows to glasses, jaw structure to noses, hair to tattoos. “There are 4,400 different features that can create 1 million different composites,” Walker said. Once the features are selected by the person being interviewed, Walker or Brown inputs the data. They can fine tune the final composite, moving hairlines up or eyebrows down on the computer screen.

The detectives know they’ve come up with an accurate likeness when the victim or witness who helped them create the composite has a marked reaction.”Their face goes flush; their pupils dilate; they get a blank stare,” Walker said.

It is interesting to see that technology is now helping the police nab suspects who might otherwise get away.

Comments welcome.

Full article here.

[tags]tuscon, az, composites, software, faces, suspects[/tags]