Winterthur police hires first Swiss ‘super recogniser’

Facial recognition surveillance has its critics in Switzerland. © Keystone / Ennio Leanza

A police force in northern Switzerland is the first to hire a specialist who is talented at identifying people from images – a so-called ‘super-recogniser’.

The Winterthur police department is the first in Switzerland to create this specific post, according to the Neue Zürcher Zeitung newspaper.

The man, who has not been named, was selected from within the ranks of the force.

Most police units use software to identify people from fuzzy images or pictures of people with part of their face concealed.

But some people have a peculiar knack for remembering a face or to spot a particular face in a crowd.

Scientists have not yet discovered why some people have this special skill, the newspaper reports.

In 2021, three civil society groups called for a ban on automatic face recognition devices and video surveillance technology in Switzerland.

In a joint statement, the groups said the techniques infringed on civil liberties.