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The Arizona Department of Public Safety has a new tool to use in identifying crime victims and furthering criminal investigations – tattoo ID.
Since 2016, the department’s forensic unit has used facial-recognition technology to assist law enforcement agencies work on criminal investigations by developing investigative leads of unknown subjects.
In June, DPS upgraded the Arizona Biometric Information System to include improvements to the department’s facial-recognition technology and provide tattoo recognition capabilities.
The tattoo database has approximately 1.4 million images, obtained during criminal booking procedures.
Shortly after the upgrade, on June 23, DPS used tattoo-recognition technology in a Phoenix case.
The Phoenix Police Department requested assistance identifying a homicide victim who had sustained a gunshot wound to the head, preventing the use of facial-recognition technology. The victim’s fingerprints did not return a record.
A DPS forensic detective used the new tattoo recognition software to examine three distinct tattoos on the victim, developing a strong investigative lead, according to DPS officials.
Based on the lead, Phoenix police were able to identify the victim of the homicide, marking the first successful use of tattoo recognition to identify an unknown person in Arizona, DPS officials stated in a release.
Then, on July 21, the Forensic Images Unit received another request from the Gila River Police Department to identify a female who had died and had been exposed to the elements. She was in an “advanced state of decomposition,” authorities said.
The Office of the Medical Examiner was unable to obtain fingerprints through traditional forensic methods. Using tattoo recognition software, a forensic unit detective examined several tattoos, two of which resulted in a strong investigative lead.
The Gila River department investigated further and positively identified the subject, allowing them to provide next-of-kin notification to the family, according to DPS.
“AZDPS is committed to ensuring the facial-recognition program is utilized in an ethical manner, within established laws, with the goal of enhancing public safety,” the release stated.
The Arizona Department of Public Safety’s Forensic Images Unit is housed at the Arizona Counter Terrorism Information Center in Phoenix.
