Face recognition tool to aid cops manage security at key zones

KOLKATA: Kolkata Police is all set to install a state-of-the-art face recognition system (FRS) at important crossings and malls of the city. The modern biometrics tool — now in use in several countries and across several police forces — is likely to see its trial run as part of a pilot project in south Kolkata. While Surat Police was the first in the country to use it, Delhi Police too had tasted success installing the same.



To start with, the authorities will install 34 internet protocol (IP) cameras at Presidency Correctional Home, Quest Mall and at two crossings — Park Street and Free School Street and Park Street and Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road. “These stretches witness maximum footfalls and pose security challenges during festivals. We want the pilot project to address certain concerns of ours after which we will install it in areas like the central business district,” said a source.

The tender for the same has been issued by Kolkata Police on Monday. The system will have two important functions — one, scanning, capturing and then comparing faces to match with statistics to find out if a particular person has been blacklisted by the cops and two, recognizing a VIP and then upgrading his\her security.

Mostly used in forensic investigation, the technology can enhance poor quality latent face images, search against their mugshot databases and locate potential suspects. Another important part of the system is integration of existing video surveillance systems and matching of faces in real-time against a watch list of individuals to trigger an alert.

The tender document recognizes the functional requirements for the system — some basics include working on real-time basis and working even with partial occlusion of face, glasses, scarf and even major changes of facial expression. But the specifics sought by Kolkata Police in the tender document have led to the conclusion that the cops are planning to invest big time in this technology.

“We have sought for a system that will have the provision to take multiple samples of the same face and the alerts so generated by the system should have the provision to be pushed to mobile phones of the law enforcement personnel for instantaneous response,” claimed an officer at Lalbazar.

Police said they are also aware of the shortcoming of biometrics and that these steps will go hand in hand with the traditional police sourcing. Experts too have pointed to recent grey areas in the biometric face recognition system. “German hackers were able to trick a scanner with a picture of the device owner’s eye and a contact lens. This was in the same month that a top financial institution’s voice recognition security system was fooled by a journalist. The dangers of biometric authentication such as facial recognition is that it is not entirely immune to potential attack and therefore should not be relied on as the sole means of verifying a user,” said an expert from a private firm which is likely to take part in the bidding.