TX- Police to adopt new eyewitness ID policy, should be a model for police everywhere.
The Texas Legislature asked the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas at Sam Houston State University to develop a model policy that could be used as a resource. All law enforcement agencies that conduct photo or video lineups must adopt eyewitness policies and procedures by September.
"It doesn't have to be this one, but this is a model based on the best scientific research out there," institute spokeswoman Beth Kuhles said Tuesday.
Among the key recommendations in the model policy:
The person administering the lineup should not know who the suspect is.
Photo lineups should be done sequentially, with one photo shown at a time, to improve chances of accurate identification.
The filler photos used should be similar to the suspect and match the witnesses' descriptions.
Witnesses should be provided with clear instructions, including a statement that the perpetrator may or may not be in the photo or live lineup. Precautions must be taken to ensure that witnesses don't encounter other witnesses, suspects or those used as fillers before or after the lineup procedure.
The use of showups, where suspects are presented to a witness shortly after the crime, should be avoided and should be used only under limited circumstances.
All eyewitness identification processes should be documented, preferably by audio or video recordings.
Interpreters should be used in eyewitness identification procedures when the witness doesn't speak English.
http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Officers-getting-training-on-eyewitness-ID-policy-3507677.php