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“Computers may not be great at spotting faces, but logo-recognition algorithms are very effective. And it turns out that many criminals not only commit the same crimes again and again; they do so wearing the same outfits. (The super-recognizers find this hilarious, and joke about “crime clothes.”) Cameras had captured a burglar committing several break-ins wearing the same Everlast sweatshirt, which happened to be a perfect match for the one that he had worn in a mug shot taken after a previous arrest. Another thief was devoted to a newsboy cap. As I scrolled through the database, even my untrained eye picked out multiple shots of the thief in his trademark hat. There are other tells. When Mick Neville gives talks, he shows a slide featuring “the cross-eyed Peckham arsonist,” and gently suggests that the next time the man feels like setting a fire he might want to consider wearing shades.”
The Detectives Who Never Forget a Face
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/08/22/londons-super-recognizer-police-force
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– (via deathbeard)
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