Ask any law enforcement detective about the investigative tools they find most useful, and you’ll surely come across many who note the importance of facial recognition technology (FRT). While it was once considered a futuristic concept, FRT has become a valuable asset when working on a wide range of case types.
As helpful as FRT can be in this area of police work, it’s still underutilized in another critical aspect – emergency response. Whether responding to a mass casualty incident or helping unite family members after a natural disaster, this technology can serve as a must-have for first responders.
Detectives and analysts may already be using it to investigate crimes, but sometimes the connection isn’t made across an agency. For example, for mass casualty incidents, like a tragic plane crash, facial recognition could be a valuable tool for first responders to the scene and investigators to help identify individuals and bring closure to families.
Traditional methods of identification like fingerprinting or paper records have long been the norm but are often inefficient and unreliable, particularly in situations where physical documents aren’t available. Understanding that facial recognition technology can serve as a more efficient solution is the first step toward implementing such a platform.
Facial recognition in action
A wide array of technology solutions have become commonplace in law enforcement, from automatic license plate readers to body cameras and more. When an agency is undergoing an emergency response, they no doubt have a tool kit of solutions to draw from, one which should also include facial recognition technology.
Consider the fires that ravaged multiple parts of Southern California in January 2025, where at least 29 people lost their lives. Whether first responders needed to immediately identify a victim or identify an individual who may have difficulty communicating due to cognitive issues, the use of FRT could provide a starting point for a quicker resolution than other types of investigative efforts.
On the other side of the coin from those who are missing, injured or killed during a crisis, perpetrators of terrorist activities might also elude law enforcement when it comes to identification.
“Pick any incident or even an act of terrorism where you have victim identification that needs to happen quickly,” said Winston Pingeon, a Clearview AI account executive and former Capitol Police officer. “With suspect identification, whether they’ve escaped or are deceased on scene, there are multiple levels and layers of uses for facial recognition. There’s that mobile aspect in the field which offers further immediate investigation of associates, locations and all of that.”
In an active threat situation where a suspect is killed by law enforcement, officers may not know who that person is, explains Pingeon. “You can imagine snapping a picture and being able to get a lead. Maybe you come across their social media account and now you have something to start with. There’s a vast amount of information that you can get to through other investigatory channels and sources, but to get you there, Clearview AI can act as a tremendous springboard,” he said.
Facial recognition technology, like all other solutions used in law enforcement, isn’t necessarily designed to be a stand-alone tool, either. Agencies are increasingly incorporating FRT into their real-time crime centers to enable faster and more effective coordination during crisis situations.
“When you think of a real-time crime center (RTCC), it’s a hub of information that’s being pulled from multiple data sources,” said Pingeon. “It’s exactly where you want a tool like facial recognition, which could accelerate investigatory efforts and cut through some of the noise in a chaotic situation. In a disaster situation, time is of the essence, and RTCCs are often the ones that can be funneling this information.”
With its additional mobile functionality, Clearview AI allows officers in the field to take photos of individuals and submit them to the RTCC for peer review, helping push investigatory leads faster through the process of identifying victims or reuniting family members.
Collaboration from the start
When disaster strikes, rarely is only one agency responding. Mass casualty incidents and terrorist attacks, along with fires, hurricanes and other significant events, often require interagency collaboration, making it imperative that the tools used on-scene are reliable and efficient.
“We’ve seen the importance of information sharing between agencies, particularly after mass casualty type of events,” explained Pingeon. “For those who have access to facial recognition software, it’s important not only to access it but then to have the ability to share it with their partners and other stakeholders with whom they are working.”
Instead of two agencies responding to the same threat using different tactics, Clearview AI can provide a deconfliction element, providing awareness and enhanced safety for the engaged agencies.
“Sharing information is crucial,” Pingeon continued, “because it helps save time, helps develop leads and ultimately makes investigations safer and even saves lives through that sped-up identification process.”
Visit Clearview AI for more information.
