Agencies Implementing Facial Recognition Software

VANCOUVER, Canada - The rate at which software developers are improving facial recognition technology continues to outpace our ability to keep up with the improvements. In the meantime, some agencies aren't waiting for the improvements but are implementing the technology now.

The Harris County Sheriff's Department in Texas is one of those agencies that has decided that the technology is good enough now. The county is using Imagis biometric facial recognition technology to try to accurately identify felons and increase the efficiency of surveillance activities. The county is deploying Orion Scientific Systems' TaskForce Investigations, which has Imagis' facial recognition technology integrated within it, and GangNet applications.

"For the first time, our County Sheriff's Department has access to a comprehensive and up-to-date system and database that allows our officers to apprehend suspects," said Deputy Victor Bond of the Harris County Sheriff's Department.

TaskForce Investigations is an intelligence database and system that provides law enforcement agencies with the ability to record, track and analyze information associated with investigation activities such as surveillance, interviews, warrants and arrests. The system seamlessly integrates with Imagis' facial recognition engine and stores encoded facial images in its database.