Paid volunteers are being sought for a new high-tech version of the traditional Police identification parade.

The system will use computer technology to throw up library images from a database, instead of Police officers having to find people to pose alongside suspects in a line-up.

In future, a 15-second clip of the suspect will be filmed, and then characteristics such as age, height and skin colour typed into a database of 22,000 other video images compiled by the manufacturer.

The Police then liase with the suspect and their lawyer to choose at least eight additional images they believe are a fair likeness to the suspect.

Finally, a virtual line-up featuring the real suspect alongside the others is burned onto a disk to show to the crime victim. The viewing can be done in their own home or in hospital if necessary, and means the victim will no longer have to view the suspect through a one-way mirror as with the traditional method.

In order to supplement the library of images for the suspect to choose from with clips featuring Bermuda’s diverse population, around 200 volunteers are now being sought by Police.

Those who come forward will be paid in the region of $50-$60 for the 15 seconds or so it will take for them to be filmed and added to the database.

Mark Crampton, who is working on the new initiative, would like to attract adult volunteers of both genders and a wide variety of ethnic origins and skin colours. However, he said, he is particularly keen to encourage Bermudian males aged 17-37 to come along for filming as most people featured in ID parades fall into that bracket.

The only requirements are that volunteers are over 17, that they sign a waiver giving consent for their pictures to be used in future line-ups and that they provide their name and age.

“We need people from all positions of life, and it doesn’t matter about height, or any peculiarities such as tattoos or scars,” said Mr. Crampton.

And explaining how the new technology will be of benefit, he added: “The problem with the traditional ‘line-up’ ID parade is that you spend an awful lot of time and resources going out and trying to find volunteers of a similar age, height, description and position in life.

“There’s a reluctance from people to give up their valuable time, and there’s also always been a myth — and this applies to the video parade too — that if you get picked out, you will get arrested and carted off and never see the light of day again.

“That is not true. If someone is picked out who is not the suspect, it is classed as negative and unsuccessful. We don’t arrest the person that’s picked out.”

Filming is due to kick off in the middle of June, although the exact dates and times are yet to be fixed. Transport will be available to and from Prospect Police HQ, and the cash payment will be made on the day. Look out for more information in future editions of The Royal Gazette.