Observer determination of the make, model, and year of questioned vehicles

Abstract

Often, criminal acts involving a vehicle are caught on digital video surveillance systems. While potentially useful for an investigation, the recording conditions are typically less than optimal for the extraction of key information for the identification of the perpetrator, such as a license plate. Providing the make, model and year of a questioned vehicle is a common request for examiners, to narrow the field of potential suspect vehicles. This study seeks to compare the performance of a nonpeer-reviewed make, model, and year determination between two separate groups, specifically, trained forensic image examiners and nontrained individuals. Results show that even with varied image capture conditions and quality, the trained forensic image examiners more correctly and completely identified the test group of questioned vehicles make, model, and year.

Form follows function: Applying photographic content analysis to forensic firearm identification

“…On average, it takes a 2‐ to 3‐year training period to train an examiner. The training process resembles that of vehicle image examiners at the FBI, who undergo a 2‐year training process in image and video analysis that includes the determination of a make, model, and year range of vehicles [4].…”