Eagle-eyed West Midlands Police 'super recogniser' picks out 3,000th crime suspect while on patrol
A police support officer with a rare talent for remembering faces has picked out his 3,000th suspect while on patrol.
Eagle-eyed PCSO Andy Pope, who has won an international award for his 'super recogniser' skills, is based with West Midlands Police's Safer Travel Team and regularly patrols various transport hubs and also surrounding streets.
He will often check security footage, video stills and police briefings to keep himself updated on those wanted by detectives.
Andy has spotted suspects in connection with a range of offences from attempted murder and assaults to sex attacks who can often be in crowded places.
'Super recogniser' is a term coined in 2009 by Harvard and University College London researchers for people with an abnormally good ability to recognise faces. Super recognisers like Andy can memorise and recall thousands of faces years later, often having seen them only once. He is thought to share his talent with between 1 and 2 per cent of the world's population, and the science behind super recognisers is poorly understood.
Andy even managed to pick out people while they were wearing face masks during the coronavirus pandemic.
Andy, aged 47, said: “I’m just glad I can assist in catching crime suspects and keeping communities safe across the West Midlands.
“It’s really hard to explain how I manage to remember and spot faces, as it just comes natural.
“It’s a nice feeling to have passed the 3,000 milestone since I started the role. I’m hoping there will be many more to come too.”
Andy was made an honorary fellow of the Association of Super Recognisers four years ago and has received the force's Chief Constable’s Award for his outstanding skills.
Police Crime Commissioner Simon Foster is calling on the Government to fund more police officers after the force suffered a loss of 700 in the past 15 years.
