Facial recognition approved for law enforcement in Oviedo, FL

Local police forces in Florida are looking to start using facial recognition software to identify suspected criminals.

Reported first on WFTV Eyewitness News, this system has just been approved for use in the city of Oviedo, and has been in use in some districts since last year. According to the report, this “system is somewhat controversial because it allows law enforcement to search through driver’s license photos, even if you’ve never been accused of a crime.”

The software, developed by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, is being used by 150 agencies in Florida, and is free for law enforcement agencies.

Adoption of facial recognition software is increasing rapidly, thanks to accessible technology, but also to its non-invasive nature. Research has even shown that freely available facial recognition search engines used by popular social networks like Facebook are as reliable and accurate as some specialist systems sold to government agencies.

Reported previously in BiometricUpdate.com, the FBI’s facial recognition project “Universal Face Workstation” will also be made available to local law enforcement agencies across the U.S. and could already be in use by some today. The project was initially launched in Michigan, and by last summer, many states had already expressed interest in becoming a part of the project.

Last year, the Palm Bay Police Department in Florida announced its partnership with IntegenX to use the company’s breakthrough RapidHIT2000 DNA profiling, identification and analysis system.

 

Article Topics

facial recognition  |  identification  |  law enforcement  |  Pinellas County Sheriff's Office