Ear identification based on surveillance camera images.

Abstract

Introduction test motivated by the above-mentioned case. As there are no In The Netherlands, as well as in many other countries, the recognized experts in identifying individuals based on use of surveillance cameras has grown rapidly. As a conseimages of ears available at our laboratory, we asked forenquence an increasing number of crimes are recorded on sic experts from several forensic disciplines with a thorough video by surveillance cameras. Therefore, the question of knowledge of individualization principles and laymen to identification of the person(s) appearing in the recorded individualize persons by ear from surveillance camera images is put to the forensic expert more and more frevideo film under closed set assumptions. quently. However, this can be a formidable task, especially The reason for asking laymen and trained investigators is when the recordings are of poor quality and large areas of that the answer to the question whether you have sufficient the body are covered with clothes andlor masks. information to make an individualization or exclusion is Sometimes an expert is asked to, if possible, identify a person based on a visible body part, for example, part of the skin, hands, arms, etc. A similar question was posed to the experts at our laboratory. It concerned several robberies of gas stations in Utrecht, The Netherlands. Video camera surveillance film was obtained from the scenes of the crime. The offender was wearing a baseball cap, shawl and a cloth hanging from the cap thereby covering his face. However, the ears of the offender were visible and the question was raised whether a certain suspect could be identified as being the offender.