I suspect the software already exists and here is why: Following the 2011 Vancouver Stanley Cup riot [1] there was tens of thousands of photos and videos posted

I suspect the software already exists and here is why: Following the 2011 Vancouver Stanley Cup riot [1] there was tens of thousands of photos and videos posted to social media. Vancouver Police (VPD) where initially overwhelmed with tips and digital media, so VPD setup a website [3] to aggregate the data and identify suspects. ICBC (Vancouver BC's provincial entity that issues drivers licenses) offered facial recognition software [4] and their database (although I think this idea was scrapped due to privacy issues). An organization called LEVA helped investigators analyze 1,600 hours of video evidence [5]. The VPD riot website [3] puts the hours of video evidence at 5,000 [6]. VPD used a team of 40 LEVA forensic video analysts and technicians from across the United States, Canada, and the U.K. was assemble for an intense two-week period to review the evidence. [5] So, I think these people will step up and help if the government has not already developed this capability. Wired states that "Data for the Boston Marathon Investigation Will Be Crowdsourced" [7]. This process is likely already underway. p.s. since I mentioned the vancouver stanley cup riot, I should also mention the vigilante justice that followed [8]. Obviously these two instances are much different but I think it is worth mentioning. People were "naming names" on-line, people were fired [10], people were expelled [9], people were targeted with death threats [11]. IMHO this software can be very dangerous when operated by the public. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Vancouver_Stanley_Cup_riot http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Vancouver_Stanley_Cup_riot [2] http://m.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/riot-investigators-overwhelmed-by-internet-leads/article2068499/?service=mobile http://m.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/riot-inve... [3] https://riot2011.vpd.ca/ https://riot2011.vpd.ca/ [4] http://www.straight.com/news/icbc-offers-facial-recognition-technology-vancouver-polices-riot-investigation http://www.straight.com/news/icbc-offers-facial-recognition-... [5] http://pipelinecomm.wordpress.com/2011/09/14/leva-activates-forensic-video-analysis-response-team-to-support-vancouver-police-department/ http://pipelinecomm.wordpress.com/2011/09/14/leva-activates-... [6] https://riot2011.vpd.ca/faq https://riot2011.vpd.ca/faq [7] http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2013/04/boston-crowdsourced/ http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2013/04/boston-crowdsourced/ [8] http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/Online+vigilantes+slow+police+investigations+report+Stanley/7478872/story.html http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/Online+vigilantes+slo... [9] http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2012/09/13/bc-alexander-peepre-riot-sentence.html http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2012/09... [10] http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2011/06/22/bc-rioter-fired.html http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2011/06... [11] http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/rioting+teen+nathan+kotylak+family+face+backlash+forced+leave+home/4972283/story.html http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/rioting+teen+nathan+k...