Facial Recognition System Behind 42 Arrests Since August: Delhi Police

The Delhi Police has arrested 42 people with the help of facial recognition system (FRS) through e-beat book since August last year, officials said on Wednesday.

According to police, facial recognition enables the user to run facial scan of suspects and find their criminal history, if any, on the spot.

So far, 42 criminals have been arrested with the help of this feature, while 18,968 FRS scans were conducted by beat staff till March 23, 2021, police said.

Despite the COVID-19 restrictions, the Delhi Police successfully converted challenges into opportunities and planned, developed and successfully implemented the critical project of e-beat book system, according to a statement.

A beat is the smallest unit in policing. Each police station is normally divided into 10 to 16 beats under the lookout of 3 to 4 beat officers who handle the ground level policing.

The Delhi Police introduced this web-based application on August 15, 2020. The system covers 178 police stations, 822 division and 1,752 beats, which are specifically the base level components of law-and-order machinery, it stated.

Traditionally, the data regarding special features of the beat was collected and compiled in a paper beat book. The same is now stored electronically in these handy, user-friendly and web enabled smart devices, the statement said.

This is a digital solution for data collection, analysis and retrieval processes. Now, a beat officer can have all relevant data i.e. crime, criminal, dossier, fingerprint, vehicle registration etc. along with him in a device, it said, adding that the system fetches near real-time data from data banks of the Delhi Police.

Eleven motor vehicle thieves have been arrested and 16 vehicles recovered by using e-beat book from 7,881 stolen vehicle and 801 missing mobile searches till March 23, 2021, it stated.