LIVERMORE, Calif., Feb. 15, 2018 -- Vigilant Solutions, an image analytics company serving the public safety market, announced today that a law enforcement agency used Vigilant's facial recognition and license plate recognition (LPR) technology to develop a lead in a kidnapping case that helped to locate the missing person and get her to safety. Due to the ongoing investigation, the agency name and certain details of the case have been omitted at the agency's request.
The case was opened when a woman contacted a sheriff's department located in California to report her mother had gone to meet a man she had met online and never came home.
"When the complainant called her mother's phone to check on her, a man answered and made some suspicious remarks, and would not allow her mother to speak to her on the phone," said a spokesperson for the agency. "The complainant could hear her mother crying in the background during the phone call."
The complainant had located the website where her mother had met the unknown male and provided it to the responding officers, but there was no identifying information for the male on the site. However, there were several good-quality photos.
"An investigating officer downloaded one of the photos and ran it through Vigilant's facial recognition system, FaceSearch™," the spokesperson said. "Within seconds, he had multiple returns on the probe image and was able to identify the unknown male as a possible match."
The agency proceeded to conduct a full background check and investigation and found the male had a lengthy criminal history and was on probation. The background check also led investigators to the suspect's license plate numbers, which they entered into Vigilant's LPR solution, PlateSearch™ and found a recent detection in an adjacent jurisdiction. The license plate detection information allowed officers to locate the vehicle and the woman, who had been drugged and was not able to care for herself. The agency was able to quickly get her to safety.
"This is a textbook example of how a comprehensive investigative suite of tools can help an agency solve crimes. It demonstrates how law enforcement agencies can use images and analytics to power investigations, generate leads, make arrests, and help keep citizens safe," said Roger Rodriguez, Director of Business Development for Vigilant Solutions and retired NYPD Detective. "We commend the agency for its swift and successful response."
About Vigilant Solutions:
Vigilant Solutions' technology helps law enforcement solve crimes faster to keep officers and communities safe. A leader in image analytics for the public safety market, Vigilant provides license plate recognition (LPR), facial recognition and ballistic analysis to deliver intelligence to agencies across the globe. Built for agencies of all sizes, Vigilant's technology increases investigative efficiency, generates more leads, connects cases, and reduces crimes with advanced analytics, billions of nationwide commercial LPR detections, and hosted facial recognition and ballistic galleries. Bring criminals to justice with Vigilant Solutions. Visit www.VigilantSolutions.com
