City Unplugs Camera Software

[R. A. Hettinga]

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Aug 20, 2003 

City Unplugs Camera Software 
By THOMAS W. KRAUSE 
tkrause at tampatrib.com 

TAMPA - The Tampa Police Department has eliminated the facial-recognition software hooked up to cameras scanning crowds in Ybor City - after two years, zero arrests and zero positive identifications. 

The software, provided to the city free by its manufacturer, was intended to recognize the facial characteristics of felons and runaway children through a database of more than 24,000 mug shots. It was shut down Tuesday, having failed in its objective. 

``It's just proven not to have any benefit to us,'' said Capt. Bob Guidara, a department spokesman. 

The 36 surveillance cameras, which were installed a few years before the facial-recognition software, will remain. Police spokesman Joe Durkin said the software might not work but the cameras have led to several arrests. 

``Officers have been able to make arrests involving illegal drug dealing, fights and things of that nature,'' Durkin said. ``One officer monitoring the cameras has been able to be the eyes of many in foiling this type of activity.'' 

The cameras are staffed by one officer every Thursday, Friday and Saturday during peak night hours. The software will be removed, but the surveillance schedule will not change. 

When the FaceIt system first was suggested for Tampa, civil liberties groups voiced concerns about loss of privacy. Durkin said Chief Bennie Holder discontinued the system because of the lack of arrests, not the privacy issues. 

In June 2001, the FaceIt software was loaned to Tampa as a test market. Last year, after the system made no positive identifications, the software and cameras were tweaked. 

Initially, only one of the 36 cameras in Ybor City could use the identification software at any given time. Since last year's upgrade, six cameras could scan crowds for faces and compare those  faces to the database. Software also was upgraded to work better in the low lighting of Ybor streets. Despite the attempt to work out the kinks, the FaceIt system failed to make a positive match after another year. 

Although Tampa has had the system for two years, it was not in use for four months at the end of 2001. No explanation for the lack of use was released. 

Guidara said FaceIt did work well in controlled testing. People's faces were entered into the system, then the people were sent to Ybor. About 80 percent were identified by FaceIt, he said. Asked why testing proved reliable but usage provided no identifications, Guidara was stumped. 

``That's a good question,'' he said. ``I think those questions are better asked of the manufacturer.'' 

Representatives of Identix Corp. did not return calls Tuesday. 

When Tampa installed the software, it was one of two U.S. cities using the system. Virginia Beach installed FaceIt for its boardwalk, but unlike Tampa, paid for it through a $150,000 federal grant matched with $50,000 of its own money. 

An Identix spokesman told The Tampa Tribune last year that tests in the Boston and Dallas-Fort Worth airports were successful. 

The Identix Web site says the FaceIt system has ``proven to be an effective investigative tool in helping to identify individuals on a watch list'' and says it has been used in town centers, airports and border crossings worldwide. 

Reporter Andy Reid contributed to this report. Reporter Thomas W. Krause can be reached (813) 259-7698. 

This story can be found at: http://www.tampatribune.com/MGA0TF0TKJD.html 

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R. A. Hettinga <mailto: rah at ibuc.com>
The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation <http://www.ibuc.com/>
44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA
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