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AC Mark Rowley looking at the Facewatch app Metropolitan Police Service press office

Rioters to be traced through crowdsourcing app

The Metropolitan Police have uploaded thousands of images of people suspected of crimes during the 2011 London riots to a new app – and want the public to help identify them.

UK POLICE ARE to harness the powers of crowd-sourcing to help find those suspected of committing crimes during the 2011 London riots.

People will be able to use the app to view photographs of suspects and then identify them, using smartphones and tablet computers.

Thousands of images were loaded onto the MPS smartphone app, which is driven by technology from Facewatch, today.

Following last year’s riots, the Metropolitan police undertook a meticulous investigation of CCTV footage, through which they have identified and uploaded 2,880 images. Now they are urging members of the public to download the app and assist in identifying people whom police wish to speak to.

Simplicity

The Metropolitan police say that the key to the app is its simplicity. It is available on all computers at www.facewatchid.co.uk, while the Facewatch app works across all smartphone and tablet computer platforms with internet connection. It is free to download from the Apple App Store, Android Google Play and Blackberry App World.

Members of the public just enter a postcode and then click or touch through a selection of CCTV images of unidentified people that the police would like to talk to.

If they have information on a person shown, the viewer can enter their name and/or address, which is then sent immediately and confidentially to the police.

However, the images aren’t just from the riots – the police have also uploaded a further 2,000 images of low level crimes such as shoplifting or anti-social behaviour which are not related to the 2011 disorder.

Fighting crime

The Facewatch id app technology and secure database system has also been made available by Facewatch to all police forces across the UK and will soon link to the Facewatch business crime reporting solution already in use by many businesses in London.

MPS Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, head of Specialist Crime and Operations, said:

This is a great opportunity for the public to help us fight crime and bring those who remain outstanding to justice. My hope is that the two-thirds of Londoners who own smartphones will download this app, and help us identify people we still need to speak to. We need Londoners to browse through the app every week or so as new images will appear regularly.

Detective Chief Inspector Mick Neville, head of the Visual Image Identification and Inspection Office, said:

We are committed to tracing those individuals we wish to speak with through CCTV and other forensic images.

Read: Rioter gets 11.5 year jail term for starting riots fire>

Read: More than one thousand people now charged in London riots probe>

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7 Comments
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    Mute DonalC
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    Sep 24th 2015, 9:47 PM

    Picture a world were Kanye West replaces Donald Trump as US president.

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    Mute DonalC
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    Sep 24th 2015, 9:47 PM

    *where

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    Mute Jamsey
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    Sep 24th 2015, 9:51 PM

    Does it involve electrolytes???

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    Mute Lou Tennant
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    Sep 24th 2015, 10:14 PM

    And lots OF LSD?

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    Mute Sarah Clifford
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    Sep 25th 2015, 6:07 AM

    idiocracy the movie

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    Mute Shane Fleming
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    Sep 25th 2015, 6:58 AM

    Don’t forget Kim would be the First Lady!

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    Mute Jake Race
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    Sep 25th 2015, 10:16 AM

    Seriously deluded. West is the next MC Hammer.

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    Mute Caitriona Ní Riain
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    Sep 25th 2015, 6:31 PM

    Oh Dear God.

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    Mute Brian Guilfoyle
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    Sep 24th 2015, 9:46 PM

    If Kanye loves America like Kanye loves Kanye, they’ll be sorted

    270
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    Mute Shinny
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    Sep 24th 2015, 9:45 PM

    God help America, imagine what the founding fathers would think of it now

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    Mute Uncle Monty
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    Sep 24th 2015, 9:59 PM

    I don’t think they would really dig it.

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    Mute Lou Tennant
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    Sep 24th 2015, 10:13 PM

    The founding fathers be like yo, what’s up muhphuqqaz?

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    Mute jenni
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    Sep 24th 2015, 11:04 PM

    nothing to see here lads..him and his have exhausted mtv by now, its about time they brought on a new family mess. Cheaper and less damage to the whole economic universe. Oh and we dont have to widen doors to get bog heads in.

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    Mute jenni
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    Sep 24th 2015, 11:05 PM

    I meant to say big heads..

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    Mute Gracie
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    Sep 25th 2015, 7:51 AM

    Yo Bro, we will build a bigger White House. We’s will call the mother fuc*er black house. We’s will make rap sh*t and sing about it. My wife will not be First Lady, she’s like only lady bro. The North wing was named after my first born. My second born will be called West. We won’t like downsizing but we’ll do it cuz we love you all. America needs the Wests, the world needs the West’s

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    Mute Ken Loughman
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    Sep 25th 2015, 11:26 PM

    I think that MTV has forgotten what the “M” stands for…

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    Mute Big T
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    Sep 24th 2015, 10:00 PM

    I’m pretty sure the “we hate Kanye ” era hasn’t passed and I don’t think it will for some time.

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    Mute John S
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    Sep 24th 2015, 11:05 PM

    I’m not convinced by Kanye, he’d take my money when I’m in need…..

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    Mute Claire
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    Sep 24th 2015, 9:49 PM

    Would be worth him winning just for Donald Trump to interupt the inauguration by grabbing the mic and saying Jayz would be the best politician of all time.

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    Mute mcgoo
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    Sep 24th 2015, 10:01 PM

    His grandfather, seven times removed, was from Clonakilty. You heard it here first. He’ll drink a pint American President in De’Barras yet I’m telling ya.

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    Mute Jamsey
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    Sep 24th 2015, 10:37 PM

    They’ve always been good a producing black ‘puddings’ down there…….. I’m gonna hell for that joke.

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    Mute Brendan
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    Sep 24th 2015, 10:25 PM

    Absolute f*cking bell end he is, if he was ever voted in now that would say a lot about Americans

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    Mute Eugene Harrington
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    Sep 24th 2015, 9:52 PM

    If Trump can be a contender why not this clown?

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    Mute Colin Moran
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    Sep 24th 2015, 10:06 PM

    Jedward for the Áras!

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    Mute Eleanor Hegarty
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    Sep 24th 2015, 10:41 PM

    Don’t encourage em

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    Mute Eleanor Hegarty
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    Sep 24th 2015, 10:41 PM

    Don’t encourage em

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    Mute Eleanor Hegarty
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    Sep 24th 2015, 10:41 PM

    Don’t encourage em

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    Mute Colin Moran
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    Sep 25th 2015, 12:16 AM

    I heard you the first time.

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    Mute Brian Farrell
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    Sep 24th 2015, 10:29 PM

    If ever a bloke suffered from Up Syndrome.

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    Mute Conor Mac Manus
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    Sep 24th 2015, 10:30 PM

    Does he like fish sticks?

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    Mute Lorna Holderied
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    Sep 24th 2015, 11:32 PM

    Great …Not the first lady will have been in playboy,have a sex tape been married three times. Totes hillarious

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    Mute Niall O Neill
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    Sep 24th 2015, 10:26 PM

    The West Wing….

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    Mute BevinArmageddon
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    Sep 24th 2015, 10:36 PM

    “I think we can”

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    Mute JUSTIN Young
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    Sep 24th 2015, 9:45 PM

    who ?

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    Mute Jamsey
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    Sep 24th 2015, 9:48 PM

    “Never heard of her! ‘….. Lemmy

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    Mute Bob
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    Sep 24th 2015, 10:16 PM

    Bo’Selecta! Proper Bo’

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    Mute Daniel Carry
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    Sep 24th 2015, 9:51 PM

    A candidate with an ego and intellect Donald Trump

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    Mute Daniel Carry
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    Sep 24th 2015, 9:52 PM

    *with the ego and intellect of Donald Trump

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    Mute westcorklad
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    Sep 24th 2015, 10:15 PM

    Clown

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    Mute Eddie Byrne
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    Sep 24th 2015, 10:09 PM

    And we think we’re bad with Enda Kenny

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    Mute Paul Roche
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    Sep 24th 2015, 9:51 PM

    At last, an African American candidate.

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    Mute Jonny Irish
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    Sep 24th 2015, 10:32 PM

    I’m sorry Paul but I have to say I find a large amount of your comments to be utterly nauseating. You have nothing interesting about you.

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    Mute Danger Spoons
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    Sep 24th 2015, 10:41 PM

    who would struggle to spell candidate

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    Mute Alan Roddy
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    Sep 25th 2015, 12:43 AM

    And struggle to spell American

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    Mute Paul Roche
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    Sep 25th 2015, 7:15 AM

    Soz.

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    Mute Red Ed
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    Sep 24th 2015, 11:02 PM
    11
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    Mute Red Ed
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    Sep 24th 2015, 11:03 PM

    kanye’s unscripted rant about George Bush says it all

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    Mute justpassing
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    Sep 25th 2015, 12:11 AM

    That was TV gold!

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    Mute Jimmy Murphy
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    Sep 25th 2015, 1:32 AM

    Well it may not be a joke to him but to everyone else…

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    Mute Tadgh Smith
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    Sep 24th 2015, 10:33 PM

    Kanye West has left the building…

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    Mute Alan Roddy
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    Sep 25th 2015, 12:47 AM

    Hopefully he got lost

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    Mute Ann Rogan Hand
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    Sep 25th 2015, 10:36 AM

    Dick

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    Mute Derek Lyster
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    Sep 25th 2015, 8:43 AM

    The thoughts of that fxxkin eejit being president of America just cracks me up

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    Mute Anthony Byrne
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    Sep 26th 2015, 8:26 AM

    He’s just so dislikable

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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Sep 25th 2015, 4:40 PM

    Is he that arrogant or does he need an exorcist?

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