A Photo Finish(ed)

• NCJ Number: 211946
• Date Published: 2004
• Length: 2 pages
• Grant Number(s): 96-MU-MU-K011
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Report (Technical)

Annotation

This article describes the features of the CusInS (Custody Information System) Photo Viewer, along with descriptions of its use by the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Department (California).

Abstract

At the touch of a computer screen in their patrol cars, more than 200 deputies can access a database that contains 100,000 mug shots taken by the sheriff's department and the county's 7 police departments during the past 5 years. In addition to photos, identification numbers, monikers, addresses, and phone numbers are maintained and updated in the database. Having the CusInS in patrol cars enables officers to input victim/witness descriptions of suspects upon arriving at the crime scene, providing for potentially rapid identifications and quick action in locating suspects. The CusInS Photo Viewer allows for searches on height, weight, sex, age, hair color, race, first name, last name, and partial identification numbers. This search capability also enables agencies to identify unknown corpses based on their characteristics. A recent addition to the mug shot database is its in-the-field lineup capability. The software creates a lineup of subjects who are similar in appearance but have varying features such as a beard, mustache, hair, or no hair. This allows officers to observe how the suspect could change his/her appearance. It also helps victims and witnesses identify suspects. The development and deployment of the CusInS Photo Viewer was funded by a 2001 grant from the U.S. Justice Department's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services under its Making Officer Redeployment Effective (MORE) program.