Cop recognizes thousands of suspects thanks to incredible memory

By Tom Bevan

A police officer dubbed "Memory Cop" has broken his own record after his mind-blowing face recognition skills have helped him catch more than 3,000 suspects.

Eagle-eyed PCSO Andy Pope was praised for his incredible ability to live up to his reputation as a 'super recognizer' after passing another milestone for spotting crime suspects.

The 47-year-old uses his special talent to remember the faces of wanted men and women, which has led to him picking out his 3,000th suspect while on patrol earlier this year.

And West Midlands Police say the bad news for criminals is he has no intentions of stopping anytime soon.

Suspects spotted by Andy can often be in crowded places, and he has even managed to pick out people while they were wearing face masks during the COVID pandemic.

He had also previously been able to identify a robber he had seen an image of a year before, and another by the mole on their face.

Fellow officers claim Andy has even recognized faces from CCTV footage so grainy they wouldn't be able to pick out their own mothers.

Andy said: “I’m just glad I can assist in catching crime suspects and keeping communities safe across the West Midlands.

“It’s really hard to explain how I manage to remember and spot faces, as it just comes natural.

“It’s a nice feeling to have passed the 3,000 milestone since I started the role. I’m hoping there will be many more to come, too."

The ‘memory man’ has previously been presented with the Chief Constable’s award after catching an average of 200 suspected crooks every year.

The West Midlands Police officer, from Redditch, Worcs., averages one recognition every other shift.

He also became one of the first 20 people in the world to form part of the Super Recognizers Association in recognition of his razor-sharp skills.

Andy will often look through CCTV, video stills and police briefings to keep himself updated on people who are wanted when starting a shift.

It has seen him spot suspects in connection with a range of offenses from attempted murder, assaults to sex attacks.

Speaking previously, Andy said: "If you look at a picture enough times, there is usually something that sticks in the mind as distinctive.

"Maybe I can't pinpoint what that something is at the time, but when I see the person in the flesh, it triggers that recognition."

His job for the force's Safer Travel Partnership entails travelling around the region on public transport, with his skills used to assist other departments.

His frequent travel also increases his chances of encountering suspects whose images he has seen on the police computer.

He added: "It is hard to explain exactly how I remember so many faces.

"I spend time before I start a shift looking at some of the latest wanted faces and they just seem to stick in my mind.

"I feel a great sense of pride and satisfaction if I manage to remember a suspect from an image who is then arrested. Hopefully, there will be many more to come in future.

"There are officers and staff across the force who do various roles to help keep the streets safe.

“I am just pleased I can contribute and hopefully there will be many more crime suspects I can spot in future."

Ironically, despite having a memory for faces, the officer admits he’s “useless” at remembering dates.

He said, "I don't know whether I have a photographic memory. My wife has to deal with things like birthdays and anniversaries.

"When it comes to remembering dates, I'm useless."