Charlie Frowd

Full Profile

Charlie’s collaborative research has developed important methodologies for evaluating the forensic use of facial composites and composite systems. His ‘gold standard’ procedure has highlighted important deficits in traditional feature systems used by some police practitioners.

The work has triggered a substantial uptake of the EvoFIT system that he designed, and he now provides front-line police training and support. More generally, his research is on all areas of composite face construction and usage. The work has developed mnemonics for cognitive interviewing which substantially improve the effectiveness of composites from all systems (feature, sketch and holistic).

A second contribution has been a programme of research to create EvoFIT (www.EvoFIT.co.uk). This holistic system, which he wrote and developed as part of his PhD at Stirling and thereafter, is more effective at accessing human memory than any other. EvoFIT has been in regular police use since 2007. Considerable research effort has also revealed a new method for feature systems to produce high identification rates and one European system has already implemented it and retrained its police users. In addition, a series of studies has developed novel methods for law enforcement to publish composites in the media, in newspapers and on TV, substantially improving identification rates.

http://www.evofit.co.uk/research/

Qualifications

• Ph.D. Psychology, University of Stirling, 2001.
• M.Sc. Neural Computation. University of Stirling. Distinction. 1996
• B.A. Psychology and Linguistics. University of Wales. Double first. 1995.
• B.Eng. Electronic Engineering. Middlesex University. First class. 1987.

Membership of Professional and Learned Bodies

• Chartered Psychologist and Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society
• Chartered Scientist
• Member of International Investigative Interviewing Research Group
• Member of British Machine Vision Association
• Member of the European Association of Psychology and Law

Research Activities

• Facial composite construction and identification

Example Research Projects

• Asking for more information: Can recognition-based enhancements made to internal features produce more accurate composites?
• Enhancing the effectiveness of facial-composite images using detailed recall of the environmental context (crime scene)
• Self-administered procedures for constructing identifiable facial composites
• Strategies for evolving identifiable facial composite images