CATCH is the system that the police use for facial comparison. It stands for Central Automatic Technology for Recognition of Persons. The system is used in the Biometrics Center in Zoetermeer. There is a database of criminal images, consisting of photos taken by the police of arrested suspects and convicts, and there is a database for foreign images. If bystanders or victims have made images of, for example, door-to-door scammers or street assaults, these can be compared with the photos in CATCH. After all, a suspect often has committed criminal offenses before.
New Algorithm
In 2024, a total of 2022 images were submitted for comparison in Dutch investigations. This means that police officers requested a comparison with images in CATCH for images of an unknown suspect to determine the possible identity of the arrested suspect. Of these, 884 images were of sufficient quality for research in CATCH. At the end of 2023, a new algorithm was implemented, and the results were visible in 2024. Thus, in 2024, a recognition was established in 499 cases. This is a match percentage of 56%, two years ago it was 20%. Ultimately, it is determined by the experts of the police whether there is a match. This information is provided to detectives conducting the investigation.
Criminal Offenses
CATCH is used in cases of, among others, sexual offenses, attempted murder or manslaughter, serious assault, arms trafficking, burglary, vandalism, and drug trafficking. Establishing the identity of individuals is the basis of police investigation. In many cases, there are few investigative leads. A possible recognition with CATCH is an investigative lead, allowing investigation teams to gather more evidence. Only the experts of the Biometrics Center have access to CATCH. The actions within CATCH fall under the Police Data Act. In addition, live facial recognition is never applied.