Facial recognition will likely be used to identify UCLA attackers – NBC Los Angeles

The University of California has hired a law enforcement consulting firm to lead an independent investigation into UCLA’s planning and police response when violence broke out on campus between pro-Palestinian protesters and counterprotesters last week, the university system announced. public on Tuesday.

UCLA Chancellor Gene Block said that while 21st Century Policing Solutions, which has also been hired by other universities over campus security issues, will try to find those responsible for the violence, the Los Angeles police and the FBI will likely will support the research.

Among the strategies to locate attackers, facial recognition technology will likely be used, according to a former LAPD official.

“You can take a picture of yourself right now, and I can take that clip and put it on Google Image. And it will probably tell me who you are,” said retired captain Paul Vernon.

The LA Times also reported that UCLA detectives are scanning hundreds of images as they work to identify the attackers.

If the FBI becomes involved in the investigation, its investigators may obtain cell phone data to show whether certain attackers were in the area the night the violence unfolded on the UCLA campus, according to Vernon.

But Vernon added that charging those responsible may be another challenge.

“Mainly only those involved in a serious crime are pursued. Those would be the ones related to the most serious injury,” Vernon said. “Now the question is: can that injury be linked to that person? And among those people that you want to try to prosecute, how many of them have self-defense as a defense?”

There are also questions about why more than 40 people were detained in a UCLA parking lot Monday morning. Most were pro-Palestinian protesters, but at least one journalist was also detained.

“I started filming, keeping a respectful distance,” said Sean Beckner-Carmitchel, writer and videographer.

Beckner-Carmitchel said early Monday that he was filming video of the detained group when officers detained him as well.

“They signed me, at every turn they refused to allow me to speak to anyone in charge in any meaningful way,” Beckner-Carmitchel said. “I repeated over and over again that I was a member of the press, that it was just documenting, using first amendment activity, and at one point I was told that was not their problem at this time.”

When NBC4 crews responded to the scene Monday morning, a UCLA police lieutenant said the people were detained for delaying a police investigation, although they did not clarify which investigation was delayed.

Organizers said the protesters involved were on their way to participate in a sit-in protest at Dodd and Moore Hall.

Beckner-Carmitchel said that after several hours in a cell, police finally apologized and told him they would not proceed with charges. She said she had nothing to do with the protest.

“I cover a lot of protests and things like that. “I can’t stress enough that I have never seen these kids before,” said Beckner-Carmitchel, who is now considering his legal options.

UCLA leadership and police have not responded to NBC4’s repeated requests for an on-camera interview.