Database pop-up: Facial recognition system launched to boost security

HYDERABAD: Telangana police on Thursday launched facial recognition system (FRS), a first of its kind crime detection tool in the country. The FRS software has been linked to TSCOP mobile phone app, allowing field-level police personnel to check a suspect’s face from anywhere with the criminal database.
Telangana director-general of police (DGP) M Mahendar Reddy announced the integration of FRS tech tool with TSCOP app at a press conference held at the state police headquarters, Lakdikapul, on Thursday.

“For the first time in the country, all field-level police officers working in Telangana can access FRS tool through TSCOP app on their mobile phones. We have integrated FRS tool with TSCOP, allowing the investigating officers to run a suspect’s photos taken during the investigation or photos of unknown bodies at crime scenes or snapshots of the missing children using FRS tool. The images will get compared with the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) database, other police databases and results will appear in descending order, based on the match percentage,” the DGP added.

Telangana police have already been using the mobile fingerprint scanners to check criminal antecedents of suspects and FRS tool would work as a face scanner in a similar way.

“We want to send a message to criminals that if they commit a crime in Telangana, they will be caught and also get punishment due to thorough investigation done here. Ultimately, our objective is to improve standards of safety and security to achieve a crimefree society,” the DGP said.