Bern Police Launch ‘Super-Recogniser’ Pilot Project to Identify Criminals.
Bern Cantonal Police is launching a pilot project that uses officers with exceptional face-recognition abilities, known as “super-recognisers,” to support criminal investigations.
The initiative follows internal testing within the police force, where around 30 officers were identified as having above-average facial recognition skills. According to a police spokesperson, roughly 10% of participants in the screening demonstrated these enhanced abilities.
Super-recognisers have the rare capacity to accurately remember and identify faces even after brief or indirect encounters. Authorities say this capability can significantly assist in locating violent offenders and improving public safety operations.
The project development was already underway when the Canton of Bern parliament approved a motion from the Centre Party in March calling for the use of super-recognisers to strengthen policing capabilities.
Officials noted that recent public order challenges, including escalated demonstrations in the canton last October, contributed to political support for the initiative.
The Bern Cantonal Police confirmed that detailed planning for the pilot is now complete and implementation is scheduled for the summer. Officers selected for the program will be deployed to support investigations where facial identification is critical.
The pilot reflects a broader trend in European policing strategies that combine human cognitive skills with modern investigative methods to improve identification accuracy and response times.
Authorities will evaluate the effectiveness of the program after its initial rollout before deciding whether to expand it across the canton.
