The Effectiveness of Quality Training on Facial Examination and Identification

As facial recognition (FR) technology and algorithms continue to improve (and be a source of controversial headlines), there is a increasing need to professionally train and vet end-users of FR systems. This training is not limited to the operations and maintenance of the FR system but extends to the analysis that occurs once the system generates data for comparison. Facial Identification as a forensic discipline has only been around since the early 2010s, and training in the practice of Facial Identification and comparison has an even briefer history. This chapter will be devoted to the history, practice, and methodology of Facial Identification. The chapter will address the emerging standardization of Facial Identification practices, procedures, and techniques and take a high-level view of the process of analysis, comparison, evaluation, and verification (ACE-V) method that is commonly used across a number of forensic science disciplines. Additionally, the chapter will discuss some other elements that influence or impact forensic facial examination to include (but are not limited to) bias, effects of aging on facial features, effects of disease on facial features, effects of alcohol and substance use/abuse on facial features, permanent or transitory facial features, overall facial anatomy (to include underlying musculature of the face and neck), and intentional alterations or obscurations. The chapter will also address some of the research that has been conducted or is being proposed to determine the strength and accuracy of facial recognition systems. Because of the elasticity of the face and extreme differences in appearance as facial expressions change, facial examination is a challenging forensic practice and requires tremendous restraint when offering opinion evidence. As it applies to law enforcement use, facial comparisons should be used as an investigatory tool during a criminal investigation and should never be used as a sole source of identification of a person of interest. Other examples of the potential use and benefits of facial examination include (but are not limited to) (a) assisting in missing/endangered persons investigations, (b) verifying historical photographs, (c) countering child sexual abuse and exploitation, and (d) combating human trafficking. It is hoped that this chapter will further enlighten the reader as to the value of facial examination training as part of an enterprise conducting facial comparisons.