Similarity, analogy, compatibility, identification: personal identification in forensic practice

Area of Science:

• Forensic Science
• Image Analysis
• Biometrics

Background:

• Personal identification is a forensic process using evidence to recognize individuals.
• The proliferation of surveillance cameras has shifted forensic identification from anthropometry to individual trait analysis.

Observation:

• Two cases involving image analysis from surveillance systems were examined.
• Cases included suspected involvement in public building incidents and commercial robbery.

Findings:

• Image processing from surveillance systems presents significant limitations for personal identification.
• Subject compatibility based on visual characteristics is distinct from definitive identification.
• Absence of morphological similarity does not exclude personal identification.

Implications:

• Current methods for video-based forensic identification require critical re-evaluation.
• Distinguishing between compatibility and conclusive identification is crucial in forensic image analysis.
• Further research is needed to address the limitations of identifying individuals from surveillance footage.