West Midlands 'Memory cop' has busted over 800 criminals

[Vergennes]

Incredible work officer ! Thanks for making the streets safer.
-

• Andy Pope helped catch hundreds of criminals thanks to recognition skills
• The 38-year-old PCSO is able to recognise faces from grainy CCTV footage
• He arrives half an hour early every day to scrutinise pictures of suspects

A police officer dubbed the 'Memory Cop' is celebrating after helping to catch nearly 1,000 suspects thanks to his incredible 'photographic' memory.

PCSO Andy Pope has brought more than 850 criminals to justice by using his facial recognition skills.

The 38-year-old's 'gift' even enabled him to catch one robber having seen his face one year earlier, and another after recognising the mole on his face.

PCSO Andy Pope has brought more than 850 criminals to justice by using his facial recognition skills

Fellow officers claim Mr Pope recognised faces from CCTV footage so grainy they 'wouldn't be able to pick out their own mothers'.

He has built up an ability to remember faces from security film stills and police briefings and even indentified someone by the shape of their moustache.

The West Midlands Police officer of Redditch, Worcestershire, stores more faces year-on-year and averages one recognition every other shift.


Every morning he arrives at work half an hour early, logs on to his computer, and scrutinises the pictures of suspects that feature in the day's internal police briefing.

He then spends his lunch break re-examining the pictures, to refresh his memory.

In one year he identified 150 suspects – equivalent to one every other shift and many of his identifications result in successful arrests.

Fellow officers claim Mr Pope recognises faces from CCTV footage so grainy they 'wouldn't be able to pick out their own mothers'

Mr Pope said: 'If you look at a picture enough times, there is usually something that sticks in the mind as distinctive.

'Maybe I can't pinpoint what that something is at the time, but when I see the person in the flesh, it triggers that recognition.'


His job for the force's Safer Travel Parnership entails travelling around the region on public transport, allowing him to see more people than many officers.

His frequent travel also increases his chances of encountering suspects whose images he has seen on the police computer.

To mark his success West Midlands Police challenged him to pick out five volunteers he'd not seen before on the streets of Birmingham.

He was given a few minutes to glance at pictures of them before he was filmed picking them out in the city centre.

Mr Pope said: 'This was a tough challenge I was set; right in the middle of Birmingham at the busiest time.

'It has helped to keep my mind sharp ahead of hunting the real criminals.'

'It is hard to explain exactly how I remember so many faces.

The 38-year-old can remember faces from security film stills and police briefings

'I spend time before I start a shift looking at some of the latest wanted faces and they just seem to stick in my mind.

'I feel a great sense of pride and satisfaction if I manage to remember a suspect from an image who is then arrested. Hopefully there will be many more to come in future.'

The memory cop: Mr Pope said, 'I spend time before I start a shift looking at some of the latest wanted faces and they just seem to stick in my mind'

The part of the brain thought to be responsible for facial recognition is the fusiform face area, in the upper part of the temporal lobe on the brain's right-hand side.

But researchers are sceptical about whether so-called 'photographic memory' is a real phenomenon, saying it has never been proved under scientific conditions.
Mr Pope said he had never been scientifically tested.

He said during his childhood and in his previous job as a shop manager, there was no special call for his recognition skills, so he had no awareness of his gift.

He added: 'I thought I was just normal until Inspector Morris told me I was identifying far more people than anyone else.

'I don't know whether I have a photographic memory. My wife has to deal with things like birthdays and anniversaries.

'When it comes to remembering dates, I'm useless.'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ised-seeing-just-one-photo-year-earlier.html#

@waz @Kaptaan @Providence @mike2000 is back @Blue Marlin @Pakistani Exile @anant_s @PARIKRAMA @Abingdonboy @Levina @Taygibay @flamer84 @Nilgiri @The Sandman

 

[Abingdonboy]

Incredible work officer ! Thanks for making the streets safer.
-

• Andy Pope helped catch hundreds of criminals thanks to recognition skills
• The 38-year-old PCSO is able to recognise faces from grainy CCTV footage
• He arrives half an hour early every day to scrutinise pictures of suspects

A police officer dubbed the 'Memory Cop' is celebrating after helping to catch nearly 1,000 suspects thanks to his incredible 'photographic' memory.

PCSO Andy Pope has brought more than 850 criminals to justice by using his facial recognition skills.

The 38-year-old's 'gift' even enabled him to catch one robber having seen his face one year earlier, and another after recognising the mole on his face.

PCSO Andy Pope has brought more than 850 criminals to justice by using his facial recognition skills

Fellow officers claim Mr Pope recognised faces from CCTV footage so grainy they 'wouldn't be able to pick out their own mothers'.

He has built up an ability to remember faces from security film stills and police briefings and even indentified someone by the shape of their moustache.

The West Midlands Police officer of Redditch, Worcestershire, stores more faces year-on-year and averages one recognition every other shift.


Every morning he arrives at work half an hour early, logs on to his computer, and scrutinises the pictures of suspects that feature in the day's internal police briefing.

He then spends his lunch break re-examining the pictures, to refresh his memory.

In one year he identified 150 suspects – equivalent to one every other shift and many of his identifications result in successful arrests.

Fellow officers claim Mr Pope recognises faces from CCTV footage so grainy they 'wouldn't be able to pick out their own mothers'

Mr Pope said: 'If you look at a picture enough times, there is usually something that sticks in the mind as distinctive.

'Maybe I can't pinpoint what that something is at the time, but when I see the person in the flesh, it triggers that recognition.'


His job for the force's Safer Travel Parnership entails travelling around the region on public transport, allowing him to see more people than many officers.

His frequent travel also increases his chances of encountering suspects whose images he has seen on the police computer.

To mark his success West Midlands Police challenged him to pick out five volunteers he'd not seen before on the streets of Birmingham.

He was given a few minutes to glance at pictures of them before he was filmed picking them out in the city centre.

Mr Pope said: 'This was a tough challenge I was set; right in the middle of Birmingham at the busiest time.

'It has helped to keep my mind sharp ahead of hunting the real criminals.'

'It is hard to explain exactly how I remember so many faces.

The 38-year-old can remember faces from security film stills and police briefings

'I spend time before I start a shift looking at some of the latest wanted faces and they just seem to stick in my mind.

'I feel a great sense of pride and satisfaction if I manage to remember a suspect from an image who is then arrested. Hopefully there will be many more to come in future.'

The memory cop: Mr Pope said, 'I spend time before I start a shift looking at some of the latest wanted faces and they just seem to stick in my mind'

The part of the brain thought to be responsible for facial recognition is the fusiform face area, in the upper part of the temporal lobe on the brain's right-hand side.

But researchers are sceptical about whether so-called 'photographic memory' is a real phenomenon, saying it has never been proved under scientific conditions.
Mr Pope said he had never been scientifically tested.

He said during his childhood and in his previous job as a shop manager, there was no special call for his recognition skills, so he had no awareness of his gift.

He added: 'I thought I was just normal until Inspector Morris told me I was identifying far more people than anyone else.

'I don't know whether I have a photographic memory. My wife has to deal with things like birthdays and anniversaries.

'When it comes to remembering dates, I'm useless.'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ised-seeing-just-one-photo-year-earlier.html#

@waz @Kaptaan @Providence @mike2000 is back @Blue Marlin @Pakistani Exile @anant_s @PARIKRAMA @Abingdonboy @Levina @Taygibay @flamer84 @Nilgiri @The Sandman

Very impressive, don't understand why he is a PCSO, surely the actual police force would suit this guy more.

 

[anant_s]

Real Asset for his organization.

 

[I S I]

wow

 

[Indus Pakistan]

The memory cop

He is not actually a Police Constable but a Community Support officer. They were introduced sometime ago as cheap alternative to providing more "boots on the ground". And as @Abingdonboy said he ought to be in the Police Force. It's people like him and other officers that keep UK a safe country that it is. And best of all without acting or armed like soldiers. Unlike the Yanks who act and behave like Robocops.

British Police Uniform for comparison with PCSO

 

[Vergennes]

He is not actually a Police Constable but a Community Support officer. They were introduced sometime ago as cheap alternative to providing more "boots on the ground". And as @Abingdonboy said he ought to be in the Police Force. It's people like him and other officers that keep UK a safe country that it is. And best of all without acting or armed like soldiers. Unlike the Yanks who act and behave like Robocops.

British Police Uniform for comparison with PCSO

British police forces are by far the most respectable police forces in the world.
They are a great exemple of courage and profesionalism in every situations.
Even without being armed,they are able to desescalate situations or even to arrest dangerous persons wielding knife for exemple without someone being injured or killed.

Oh and they are cool.

 

[The Sandman]

@The Sandman

That's really awesome what a lucky guy he is but i guess British police is more lucky to have him.

 

[mike2000 is back]

Incredible work officer ! Thanks for making the streets safer.
-

• Andy Pope helped catch hundreds of criminals thanks to recognition skills
• The 38-year-old PCSO is able to recognise faces from grainy CCTV footage
• He arrives half an hour early every day to scrutinise pictures of suspects

A police officer dubbed the 'Memory Cop' is celebrating after helping to catch nearly 1,000 suspects thanks to his incredible 'photographic' memory.

PCSO Andy Pope has brought more than 850 criminals to justice by using his facial recognition skills.

The 38-year-old's 'gift' even enabled him to catch one robber having seen his face one year earlier, and another after recognising the mole on his face.

PCSO Andy Pope has brought more than 850 criminals to justice by using his facial recognition skills

Fellow officers claim Mr Pope recognised faces from CCTV footage so grainy they 'wouldn't be able to pick out their own mothers'.

He has built up an ability to remember faces from security film stills and police briefings and even indentified someone by the shape of their moustache.

The West Midlands Police officer of Redditch, Worcestershire, stores more faces year-on-year and averages one recognition every other shift.


Every morning he arrives at work half an hour early, logs on to his computer, and scrutinises the pictures of suspects that feature in the day's internal police briefing.

He then spends his lunch break re-examining the pictures, to refresh his memory.

In one year he identified 150 suspects – equivalent to one every other shift and many of his identifications result in successful arrests.

Fellow officers claim Mr Pope recognises faces from CCTV footage so grainy they 'wouldn't be able to pick out their own mothers'

Mr Pope said: 'If you look at a picture enough times, there is usually something that sticks in the mind as distinctive.

'Maybe I can't pinpoint what that something is at the time, but when I see the person in the flesh, it triggers that recognition.'


His job for the force's Safer Travel Parnership entails travelling around the region on public transport, allowing him to see more people than many officers.

His frequent travel also increases his chances of encountering suspects whose images he has seen on the police computer.

To mark his success West Midlands Police challenged him to pick out five volunteers he'd not seen before on the streets of Birmingham.

He was given a few minutes to glance at pictures of them before he was filmed picking them out in the city centre.

Mr Pope said: 'This was a tough challenge I was set; right in the middle of Birmingham at the busiest time.

'It has helped to keep my mind sharp ahead of hunting the real criminals.'

'It is hard to explain exactly how I remember so many faces.

The 38-year-old can remember faces from security film stills and police briefings

'I spend time before I start a shift looking at some of the latest wanted faces and they just seem to stick in my mind.

'I feel a great sense of pride and satisfaction if I manage to remember a suspect from an image who is then arrested. Hopefully there will be many more to come in future.'

The memory cop: Mr Pope said, 'I spend time before I start a shift looking at some of the latest wanted faces and they just seem to stick in my mind'

The part of the brain thought to be responsible for facial recognition is the fusiform face area, in the upper part of the temporal lobe on the brain's right-hand side.

But researchers are sceptical about whether so-called 'photographic memory' is a real phenomenon, saying it has never been proved under scientific conditions.
Mr Pope said he had never been scientifically tested.

He said during his childhood and in his previous job as a shop manager, there was no special call for his recognition skills, so he had no awareness of his gift.

He added: 'I thought I was just normal until Inspector Morris told me I was identifying far more people than anyone else.

'I don't know whether I have a photographic memory. My wife has to deal with things like birthdays and anniversaries.

'When it comes to remembering dates, I'm useless.'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ised-seeing-just-one-photo-year-earlier.html#

@waz @Kaptaan @Providence @mike2000 is back @Blue Marlin @Pakistani Exile @anant_s @PARIKRAMA @Abingdonboy @Levina @Taygibay @flamer84 @Nilgiri @The Sandman

Imagine that every police officer was like him. Criminals might as well give up their job.

 

[waz]

Incredible work officer ! Thanks for making the streets safer.
-

• Andy Pope helped catch hundreds of criminals thanks to recognition skills
• The 38-year-old PCSO is able to recognise faces from grainy CCTV footage
• He arrives half an hour early every day to scrutinise pictures of suspects

A police officer dubbed the 'Memory Cop' is celebrating after helping to catch nearly 1,000 suspects thanks to his incredible 'photographic' memory.

PCSO Andy Pope has brought more than 850 criminals to justice by using his facial recognition skills.

The 38-year-old's 'gift' even enabled him to catch one robber having seen his face one year earlier, and another after recognising the mole on his face.

PCSO Andy Pope has brought more than 850 criminals to justice by using his facial recognition skills

Fellow officers claim Mr Pope recognised faces from CCTV footage so grainy they 'wouldn't be able to pick out their own mothers'.

He has built up an ability to remember faces from security film stills and police briefings and even indentified someone by the shape of their moustache.

The West Midlands Police officer of Redditch, Worcestershire, stores more faces year-on-year and averages one recognition every other shift.


Every morning he arrives at work half an hour early, logs on to his computer, and scrutinises the pictures of suspects that feature in the day's internal police briefing.

He then spends his lunch break re-examining the pictures, to refresh his memory.

In one year he identified 150 suspects – equivalent to one every other shift and many of his identifications result in successful arrests.

Fellow officers claim Mr Pope recognises faces from CCTV footage so grainy they 'wouldn't be able to pick out their own mothers'

Mr Pope said: 'If you look at a picture enough times, there is usually something that sticks in the mind as distinctive.

'Maybe I can't pinpoint what that something is at the time, but when I see the person in the flesh, it triggers that recognition.'


His job for the force's Safer Travel Parnership entails travelling around the region on public transport, allowing him to see more people than many officers.

His frequent travel also increases his chances of encountering suspects whose images he has seen on the police computer.

To mark his success West Midlands Police challenged him to pick out five volunteers he'd not seen before on the streets of Birmingham.

He was given a few minutes to glance at pictures of them before he was filmed picking them out in the city centre.

Mr Pope said: 'This was a tough challenge I was set; right in the middle of Birmingham at the busiest time.

'It has helped to keep my mind sharp ahead of hunting the real criminals.'

'It is hard to explain exactly how I remember so many faces.

The 38-year-old can remember faces from security film stills and police briefings

'I spend time before I start a shift looking at some of the latest wanted faces and they just seem to stick in my mind.

'I feel a great sense of pride and satisfaction if I manage to remember a suspect from an image who is then arrested. Hopefully there will be many more to come in future.'

The memory cop: Mr Pope said, 'I spend time before I start a shift looking at some of the latest wanted faces and they just seem to stick in my mind'

The part of the brain thought to be responsible for facial recognition is the fusiform face area, in the upper part of the temporal lobe on the brain's right-hand side.

But researchers are sceptical about whether so-called 'photographic memory' is a real phenomenon, saying it has never been proved under scientific conditions.
Mr Pope said he had never been scientifically tested.

He said during his childhood and in his previous job as a shop manager, there was no special call for his recognition skills, so he had no awareness of his gift.

He added: 'I thought I was just normal until Inspector Morris told me I was identifying far more people than anyone else.

'I don't know whether I have a photographic memory. My wife has to deal with things like birthdays and anniversaries.

'When it comes to remembering dates, I'm useless.'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ised-seeing-just-one-photo-year-earlier.html#

@waz @Kaptaan @Providence @mike2000 is back @Blue Marlin @Pakistani Exile @anant_s @PARIKRAMA @Abingdonboy @Levina @Taygibay @flamer84 @Nilgiri @The Sandman

Nice thread, the man is a credit to the force and to the country, and the people of our land are proud of him.

 

[mike2000 is back]

British police forces are by far the most respectable police forces in the world.
They are a great exemple of courage and profesionalism in every situations.
Even without being armed,they are able to desescalate situations or even to arrest dangerous persons wielding knife for exemple without someone being injured or killed.

Oh and they are cool.

Yes our cops are really cool calm amd collected

 

[Providence]

This guy's skills should be given a job in forensics if not in PD ! I always wished I had a memory like that.

 

[Blue Marlin]

Very impressive, don't understand why he is a PCSO, surely the actual police force would suit this guy more.

thats what im thinking too. but it may probably because he may work locally in one area and he can gather a vast inventory of faces and where their are.

 

[Taygibay]

Color me impressed! He's far more discriminatory than I am.
I only remember friends and family and choose to shoot others
or not depending on the feeling they give me, the vibe.
Shifty eyes are swiftly shot, that sort of thing ...

JK Godspeed, Andy!

Good day all, Tay.

 

[Levina]

Maybe I can't pinpoint what that something is at the time, but when I see the person in the flesh, it triggers that recognition

Interesting!
The guy is actually among the gifted few who are called super recognisers. Such people have an uncanny ability to remember faces.

Then there are people who are face blind. There was this neurologist who once wrote in his book about a night when he mistook his wife's face to be a hat. (IMAGINE!!! My sympathies with him lolz).

Btw I hv also heard that there 2 kinds of people- those who can recognise faces easily, and others who can memorise numbers effortlessly. I think it's all about your left and right brain, and which one you have a better control over.