Dubai Police have announced that they are using advanced video surveillance biometrics to identify suspects and solve crimes. While facial recognition and fingerprint technology are commonly used by police worldwide, the Dubai Police are taking the technology to the next level by using biometric technology to identify criminals through other physical characteristics.
Even if the suspects wear a mask and gloves and ensure no DNA evidence is left at the scene, officers can analyze characteristics such as a person’s gait and the shape of their hands and ears to build a clearer picture of who they are. The technology creates a biometric template by examining unique patterns of movement, including the way a person swings their arms and the length of their stride. Body measurements can also be used to create biometric templates. Once created, the templates can be compared to a database to identify potential matches.
The biometric system uses specialized cameras such as LiDAR cameras to capture the movement of an individual’s body to identify suspects through gait patterns. Lt Col Dr Hamad Al Awar, head of the video and image examination at Dubai Police’s forensic e-evidence department, explained that “In some videos of crimes that are of low resolution or in which the suspects are hiding their faces, we analyzed their biometrics.”
Dubai Police started using this technology in 2016 and have reportedly made more than 3,000 arrests using this system in 2022. The technology proved particularly useful during the Covid-19 pandemic, when people wore masks outdoors and when visiting indoor venues.
The force also uses another advanced crime-fighting tool widely referred to as “brain fingerprinting.” In this technique, a suspect is typically fitted with a skullcap that features a set of electrodes that detect their brain activity while they listen to statements associated with a crime. Police carried out a year of trials on the “memory print” technique before using it in investigations.
Dubai Police said they are using this technology to help other forces in the UAE, making the country a leader in the adoption of advanced biometric technology in law enforcement.
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