This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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New 'virtual' identity parades
01/04/2004
The Solicitor General, Elish Angiolini QC saw a
demonstration in Edinburgh today of a new identification
system that will introduce 'virtual' identity parades for
criminals and make the process of identification more
convenient and less stressful for victims and other
witnesses.
The system, known as VIPER, is being introduced in
Scotland after the Association of Chief Police Officers in
Scotland and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service
developed guidelines for its use. It uses video technology
to hold 'virtual' identity parades, allowing ID parades to
be held when and where convenient for victims and
witnesses.
The system uses a national database of images of
volunteers to compile a video line-up, rather than using
real people in a traditional live line-up. This will speed
up the criminal justice process, as real life volunteers
will not have to be found for each parade. Witnesses often
find the process of identifying a suspect on a traditional
ID parade stressful - VIPER allows them to make a positive
identification without seeing suspects in person. It will
operate in the Lothian and Borders and Grampian areas from
early April and will be rolled out to police forces across
Scotland in the future.
Lothian and Borders Police Assistant Chief Constable,
Malcolm Dickson, who represents the Association of Chief
Police Officers in Scotland, hailed the VIPER system as a
major step forward for the criminal justice system in
Scotland.
He said: "Often identity parades can be quite traumatic
events for vulnerable witnesses and victims but this new
system will help lessen that fear and ensure they do not
have to come face to face with the accused.
"It also means valuable police time and resources will
be saved through this use of modern technology with
officers not having to comb the streets for suitable line
up suspects.
"VIPER is a fine example of Scottish police using the
latest technology to help in the fight against crime as
well as protecting vulnerable people at the same time. It
is shows the excellent working partnership that exists
between the police, Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal
Service."
The Solicitor General also welcomed the innovation
saying:
"VIPER is an excellent example of modernisation
improving the service delivered to victims and witnesses.
Old-style identification parades could be distressing for
victims and witnesses and difficult to arrange quickly.
New and innovative approaches such as this deliver a better
service for the public, as well as benefiting the criminal
justice system as a whole."
The Video Identification Parade Electronic Recording
System (VIPER) was developed by West Yorkshire Police and
is now widely in use in England and Wales replacing "live"
identification parades in most cases.
The Lord Advocate has issued guidelines to police forces
on the use of the VIPER system. These include guidance on
the circumstances in which it will be appropriate to
conduct an identification procedure; how to select the most
appropriate procedure for the circumstances of a case; and
the manner in which a procedure should be conducted.