A middle school has installed a face-recognition system at the campus’ main office designed to recognize registered sex offenders and missing children. According to the Associated Press, the system that included two cameras has been installed by Phoenix-based Hummingbird Defense Systems Inc. (HDSI) at the Royal Palm Middle School.
The system is linked to Arizona and national databases of sex offenders, missing children and suspected abductors. A Maricopa County deputy will be dispatched to the school in the event of a match.
“If it works one time, locates one missing child or saves a child from a sexual attack, I feel it’s worth it,” says Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, known nationwide for his moving prisoners into tents and prison-issued pink underwear.
Ken Kaplan, engineering director for HDSI, told the AP most mug shots or snapshots can be used to accurately pinpoint a person, but said false positives can happen, but are rare. “You can fool it,” he says. “It’s not perfect.”
