LARGE-SCALE SUPER-RECOGNIZER IDENTIFICATION IN THE BERLIN POLICE

Details

Serval ID
serval:BIB_3F917147E2AB
Type
Autre: use this type when nothing else fits.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
LARGE-SCALE SUPER-RECOGNIZER IDENTIFICATION IN THE BERLIN POLICE
Author(s)
Meike Ramon, Matthew J Vowels
Issued date
22/09/2023
Language
english
Abstract
International law enforcement agencies are tasked with processing increasing amounts of security-relevant digital information, particularly images and videos showing physical persons' facial identity. The permissible use of technology is subject to certain legal conditions, which vary across legal systems. But even if automatic assistance is permissible, technology is neither ubiquitous nor infallible. Therefore, police agencies across the world require novel solutions enabling both efficient and accurate processing of individuals' facial identity. Over the past years, so-called Super-Recognizers (SRs), humans with an apparently innate superiority for processing facial identity, have received increasing interest from law enforcement. For good reason: they can be found among law enforcement professionals already tasked with safeguarding the public. Contrary to the surging media interest in this topic, little attention has been directed toward scrutinizing the methods that are used to identify these highly anticipated "super-heroes". This is problematic as available tests are developed in the lab by researchers, and cannot be expected to represent the variety of real-life tasks, which SRs' could be expected to perform. We report data obtained from within the entire body of 18K officers of the Berlin Police, who were invited to participate in an applied research study in April 2021. With this unique cohort, we report the first-ever validation of lab-based procedures for SR identification, using the only existing police tool involving authentic police material: the Berlin Test for Super-Recognizer Identification (beSure®). The results demonstrate that as a group SRs identified via lab procedures are more proficient in real-life, professionally relevant processing of facial identity. However, at the individual level lab procedures can be insufficiently sensitive toward identifying professionals with exceptional ability. Consequently, law enforcement is well advised to consider two main aspects. First, to use (existing) bespoke methods, such as beSure®, which were developed specifically by and for police agencies for SR identification. Second, to systematically document professional SR identification and deployment. This is not only crucial for the evaluation of SR deployment. It is a prerequisite for the development of a needed human-centered, technology-assisted approach to facial identity processing in law enforcement.
Create date
03/11/2023 15:13
Last modification date
04/11/2023 8:07
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