They call him "Memory Man." A police community service officer in Birmingham, England spotted 130 "wanted" fugitives in the last year after memorizing their faces from CCTV footage, BBC's Crimewatch TV, and photos. Officer Andy Pope told the Birmingham Mail: "I get into work 30 minutes before my shift starts and scan police systems to see if any new wanted faces have been added – and I’ll maybe have another look at lunch as a refresher… I don’t think I’ve got any special gift, just a knack for remembering faces.”

  • http://gspirits.com/ Zod

    Sometimes I see these “rewards for information” for fugitives or criminals and think to myself, there’s no way I would be able to identify these people…I don’t associate with criminal elements, I don’t frequent areas where criminals frequent, I don’t involve myself in criminal endeavors. So this means that I’ll never be in the position to collect these rewards…and it makes me sometimes wish that I had an “in” in the criminal arena just so I could collect these lucrative rewards.

    So, if this “memory man” has identified or spotted 130 fugitives, you have to wonder where he “hangs out” that he happens to be in the same area where criminals are…perhaps he has a criminal element in his life as well…

    • Jerril

       You say this like criminals don’t shop for groceries, have kids in school, go out for drinks at the pub, gas up their cars…

      • Guest

        deleted

    • Simon Bradshaw

      I don’t frequent areas where criminals frequent

      Really? You live and work and socialise in some special zone where only the morally pure are allowed in? 

      I hate to break this to you, but you probably walk past criminals – in the sense of people wanted for an illegal act – every day. Contrary to what a lot of people assume, most individuals who get into trouble with the law don’t lead purely or even predominantly criminal lifestyles. They are just as likely to walk through the centre of town as anyone else, and funnily enough a part time police officer on duty there stands every chance of spotting them.

      • http://gspirits.com/ Zod

         I guess it’s more that I don’t associate with or in areas where known criminal elements are active. Sure, my next door neighbor may cheat on their taxes, or the guy down the street may have stolen an extra pastry from the breakfast trolly yesterday morning. But I do know that the reclusive old lady a couple of streets over is not wanted by the police…I do know that that guy who walks his dog at 3am every day doesn’t have his picture hanging at the local post office. I do know that the neighbor who mows his lawn at 10am like clockwork every saturday morning isn’t a wanted gang leader. And why is this? Because I don’t live, travel or associate in areas or with people where these kinds of *SERIOUS* criminal elements are prevalent. Look, if you “hang out” where drive-bys are happening, why? If you eat where robberies are prevalent, why? If you have to cross the street to avoid interacting with a violent gang, why? You have a choice….just “DON’T”

        • Antinous / Moderator

          I’ve houseguested with someone who ended up on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted List, not to mention dined out with someone who shot up Congress, and also kissed one of Patti Hearst’s kidnappers.  Your life sounds a wee bit dull.

          • http://gspirits.com/ Zod

             Your life sounds kinda dangerous!
            Thanks, but I’ll stick with my life…

          • penguinchris

            I LOL’d… I love that you are always able to one-up everybody and this is one of your best. We all live dull lives in comparison.

          • Antinous / Moderator

            As a friend of mine said about sliding down a trash chute into an empty dumpster at the Beverly Hills Hotel while trying to escape the cops, “It sounds better now. At the time, it just hurt.”

    • atimoshenko

      Criminals don’t keep to themselves. It’s why the “rewards for info” thing works.

    • ZikZak

       I don’t frequent areas where criminals frequent
      Well I’m a criminal, so I guess you’re at least wrong when it comes to BoingBoing :)

  • Tapio

    I think it’s magick. In China Miéville’s novel Kraken some people have magical skills called knacks. The guy probably works in FSRC (Fundamentalist and Sect-Related Crime Unit).

  • Damian

    For some reason I find this story fascinating and inspiring, while if a computer was doing it, I would feel paranoid. I guess I am not commenting on this post, but on my brain.

  • http://shadowfirebird.tumblr.com shadowfirebird

    “England police” ?   LOL.

    Doesn’t exist, although, it would make a great spoof cheesy cop show.  “STOP!!! ENGLAND POLICE!!!”

    • alxr

      More specifically, since he’s in Birmingham, his employers will be West Midlands Police.

  • dr

    What are the 39 steps?

  • niktemadur

    OMG, they’ve got a mentat over at MI5!

    They’ve had one at MI6 for ages now, haven’t they?
    In Frederick Forsyth’s “The Fourth Protocol”, she goes by the moniker “Miss Blodwyn”.