Where is v7?
As the company web splash page indicates, the development of the next application update to the Identi-Kit installed app didn’t finish up in 2011 as we had planned. We think we have the tiger by the tail now and continue the code and test process. When we feel confident in a new release date, we’ll publish that here.

My apologies for any difficulties this slip in schedule imposed on our users. v7 will be have great new features and lots of new facial features in the library. I think the wait will be worthwhile. Thanks for being patient. PW

Sorry about the hiatus from the blog. We’ve been working on the upgrade to the app, v7. More on that in a later post.

Recently, we’ve seen a couple of Identi-Kit generated sketches make it to the public airwaves. Here’s one from Kirkland, MO related to property theft investigation.

The second one was released by the Maryland State Police after a road rage incident.

Identi-Kit is in the process of defining and developing the next iteration of their facial composite sketch tool. Our target release date is summer 2011.

LEA and .edu customers are encouraged to submit comments, ideas and suggestions by clicking on this “contact us” link.

The initial training class schedule for 2011 is published. Identi-Kit clients should have received an email notice recently with a link to the schedule. If you have not received a notice and would like to attend our web based training, click on the “contact us” link above and send us an email. You must be an active member of a law enforcement agency to attend.

At the 2011 Shot Show recently held in Las Vegas, the Smith & Wesson hand guns that had prominent roles in movies and tv were on display. Field and Stream’s online edition has a great slideshow presentation.

(Note: The Identi-Kit Facial Composite tool was a Smith & Wesson product for thirty-five years.)

The current issue of Governing.com is running a story about the role of facial composite sketch tools like Identi-Kit in public safety. You can read this article written by Jessica Mulholland at the governing.com site.

I’m not one of them, but lots of people can’t go a day without working the daily crossword puzzle in the New York Times. The 2006 movie “Wordplay” is an excellent documentary about Will Shortz, the NYT puzzle editor. It also chronicles the 2005 American Crossword Puzzle Tournament where a 20 year old RPI student upsets the crossword puzzle world and becomes the youngest person to ever capture the title. You’ll be on the edge of your seat watching the drama unfold.

What does this have to do with Identi-Kit facial composite software? Our product was used in today’s NTY puzzle. Check it out at this link and check out the clue and answer for 35 down.

The schedule for Identi-Kit training classes for September through December 2010 is now available. If you are a licensed client, you should have received an email this week with the schedule and directions of how to register. If you did not get that email and wish to attend a class, click on this email link to request the schedule. Or call us 866-414-9286.

To be eligible for training, you must be currently working as either a:

1) Member of a law enforcement agency or
2) Teaching criminal justice at the secondary or post secondary school level.

October 14, 2010 marks the date for the groundbreaking ceremonies for the National Law Enforcement Museum. The museum will be located across from the National Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington D.C.

The 55,000-square-foot, mostly underground institution will be a world-class experiential museum with high-tech interactive exhibitions. The Museum will include a vast collection of law enforcement artifacts and dedicated spaces for research and education. Included in the artifact collection is an Identi-Kit box kit from the 1970’s. Check out the story in this link:
http://lawenforcementmuseum.blogspot.com/2010/07/five-cool-artifacts-in-collections-of.html

There is no date on this CIA paper that describes the operation and features of Identi-Kit. The paper’s analysis is based on the “box kit” version of the tool when it contained 500 features, which goes back several decades. Nevertheless, the conclusions on the last page of the report are still true with today’s advanced computer version.
Click here to read the paper.
Or go to this link: https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/kent-csi/vol4no1/pdf/v04i1a03p.pdf