Facial-recognition technology has been used to identify and convict an armed robber. Pierre D Martin, 35, was caught on CCTV cameras robbing two men at gunpoint in separate attacks in 2013. The images were then processed through NeoFace – a face-recognition computer programme purchased by Chicago police for $5.4m (£3.2m). It cross-referenced his face with 4.5 million police mug shots. Martin, who has previous convictions for unlawful use of a weapon and possession of a stolen vehicle, came back as a likely match.
The software cost Chicago police $5.4m His image had been on the police database since 2009. Witnesses to the attacks then identified him in line-ups. A judge found Martin guilty of robbing a 20-year-old man listening to music on headphones on February 9, 2013 at a train station. He approached the victim from behind, pulled a gun and demanded his mobile phone. He had earlier stolen a phone from another man at the same station. He is the first person to be convicted as a result of Chicago's software.
Anita Alvarez, state attorney for Cook County, said: "This case is a great example that these high-tech tools are helping to enhance identification and lead us to defendants that might otherwise evade capture."
