Super Recognisers are people born with the ability to never forget a face
“I can be given the image of a face I've never seen before, look at it for a few seconds, then go off into a crowd of 40,000 people and find that person.”
Super Recognisers are individuals with an innate capacity to remember and recall faces with exceptional accuracy. It is a skill they are born with and stems from the ‘fusiform’ area of the brain which recognises faces. Super Recognisers are academically identified by the University of Greenwich as representing around 1% of the population. The science behind the skill is fully backed by extensive research globally.
Super Recognisers work closely with law enforcement agencies, private security firms, and event organisers to identify potential threats and criminal activities. Their expertise is utilised in real-time situations, such as monitoring large public events, crowded areas, and transportation hubs. This extraordinarily rare skill can be applied to many types of investigations, from missing persons to cold cases.
“If the image I’m given was taken 30 years ago - it won’t matter. I can still recognise faces that have changed over decades.” KJD
Do you think you’re a Super Recogniser? Take the 5 minute test…
Next Covert Exercise Weekend Training Course Dates:
19th & 20th October 2024 - Central LondoN
unleashing the power of super recognisers
how we can help
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Full Weekend Courses
Identifying & Testing SR Skill
Basic Surveillance Techniques
Live Exercises
Spotting Faces in a Crowd
Evidence Gathering
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Surveillance & Investigations
Large Crowd Events
Close Protection Assistance
Security Team Enhancement
CCTV Analysis
Law Enforcement Assistance
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Post-event CCTV Analysis
Facial Comparison Reports
Historical Image Reviews
Identification Confirmation
News outlet source
Evidence for Criminal Cases
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Missing & Exploited People
Open Source Intelligence
Private Investigations
Corporate Espionage
Fraud Cases
New Image Evidence
Scroll down for more details
COVERT EXERCISE WEEKends
WEEKEND TRAINING COURSEs
Do you think you’re a Super Recogniser? Could you spot a target in the crowd?
Try taking the quick 5-minute test designed by Greenwich University. If you score well, book a course to test your skills in a realistic covert exercise situation. Take the test HERE
LIVE EXERCISE WEEKENDS
Experience live exercises and learn Super Recogniser surveillance techniques on this two-day course. Designed to identify and enhance the skills of Super Recognisers, this informative, fast-moving, and exhilarating course will give you a flavour of working in the field, identifying ‘targets’, and carrying out covert surveillance. There will be classroom-based learning, giving you the skills to work on a covert operation. During the weekend we will be putting both your innate and newly-learned skills to the test, with live exercises in a busy city centre location. The course will be run by Kelly Desborough, owner of Face Detect and the world’s most experienced civilian Super Recogniser.
WHO IS THE COURSE FOR?
Anyone who is interested in learning more about the covert work of Super Recognisers and immersing themselves in live exercises can attend. You do not have to be a qualified, confirmed Super Recogniser to attend but heightened recognition skills would be beneficial. You must be physically fit enough to participate in fast-moving surveillance operations within the busy streets of a city centre. Good communication skills are essential as you will be working within a team to identify and follow targets.
WHAT’s INCLUDED?
Classroom learning and activities: Surveillance techniques, communications, behavioural analysis/detection, how covert operations work, briefings.
Live Operations: We will run live operations on both days, working in teams out on the streets and putting into practice what you have learned. Pair this with your Super Recogniser skills for realistic, fast-paced, adrenaline-filled exercises and surprises along the way.
“it WAS SO EXCITING to be part of a covert team. MY PULSE WAS RACING AND THE FEELING WHEN I ACTUALLY SPOTTED THE TARGET WAS UNREAL!” - CF, London
LIVE DEPLOYMENTS
Security team member | surveillance operative | Close protection - TEAM enhancement
Enhance your team with the invaluable skills of a Super Recogniser. As the ever-evolving field of security continues to tackle emerging challenges, adding a Super Recogniser to your security team is a game-changer. Harnessing the extraordinary abilities of these individuals can significantly strengthen your overall security infrastructure.
Super Recognisers can instantly recognise faces on watchlists or identify individuals exhibiting suspicious behaviour. With additional training as Behavioural Detection Officers, Super Recognisers add huge value to an operation.
Examples of benefits:
Enhanced Access Control - Verifying identities of known individuals at venue access points. Working within the existing security team, Super Recognisers can quickly and accurately spot POIs at large crowd events.
Preventing Criminal Activities/Protest Management: Working covertly, Super Recognisers can move within crowds to identify known individuals, alerting the wider team to their presence swiftly and inconspicuously.
Close Protection Team Enhancement: Integrating a Super Recogniser into a CP team gives an additional layer of protection. Working as a spotter on the periphery, the Super Recogniser can identify fixated individuals or any known threats in the vicinity.
Surveillance Operative: Super Recognisers who are fully trained and qualified in surveillance make an exceptionally valuable member of any operation. Able to act as a trigger by spotting subjects quickly and accurately, they can provide an ultra-observant pair of eyes throughout the entire task.
“Adding a Super Recogniser to your team gives a unique level of security to your offering” - DB
fast & accurate subject identification
IDENTIFICATIONS
Super Recognisers are able to use their innate skill to make fast, accurate identifications whilst deployed on operations or working with images remotely.
ways we can identify a subject:
Poor quality footage/images - Super Recognisers far outperform facial recognition software when it comes to poor quality images. The Super Recogniser’s brain can compensate for grainy footage or low-light images with astonishing results.
Post-event CCTV Analysis: Assisting law enforcement, private investigators, and private individuals, Super Recognisers are able to locate, identify, and track persons of interest. This has been proven to create new leads, with significant new evidence discovered.
Historical Image Reviews: The identity of individuals in historical images can be confirmed or ruled out by reviewing known images for comparison. Super Recognisers have identified family members, war heroes, portrait subjects, and significant historical characters to name but a few. They have even debunked several conspiracy theories!
Correcting Misidentifications: Not only are Super Recognisers able to identify subjects of interest, but importantly they are also able to uncover misidentifications where false-positive identifications have previously occurred. This is an essential part of the Super Recogniser’s process and can assist in avoiding the wrong pathways in an investigation.
“I look at two images side by side. I will know in a split second if they are the same person. now it’s my job to prove it.” - KJD
investigations on foot & online
investigations
Whether working remotely or as part of an investigations team, Super Recognisers can be utilised in a variety of ways to assist in any case that works with images of known subjects.
investigative techniques and tasks:
Missing and Exploited People - Accuracy and quick response is essential in these fast-moving cases. This is where Super Recognisers are a force of nature. When provided with images for comparison, Super Recognisers can create leads for law enforcement and investigators. This ensures the correct individuals are identified swiftly when time is of the essence.
Open Source Intelligence (OSINT): A Super Recogniser trained in OSINT is a powerhouse of investigative skill. Tracking and identifying subjects of interest online with this heightened facial recognition skill provides a unique angle to any investigation and provides outstanding results.
Private Investigations: Super Recognisers can team up with Private Investigators to create a new, forward-thinking and effective offering to their clients. Whether they join an investigative team on surveillance operations or perform facial comparison reports, they are an effective element of any professional task.
Corporate Espionage/Fraud: There have been a number of cases that have relied on the evidence gained by Super Recognisers to prove fraudulent activities by both businesses and individuals. Surveillance footage or stills can be reviewed, and combined with OSINT, can uncover suspected activities and the individuals involved.
