UCLA uses facial recognition to identify mob members who attacked the camp

It appears to be perhaps the biggest case in the history of the UCLA Police Department: how to identify dozens of people who attacked a pro-Palestinian camp in the center of campus last week.

The mob violence was captured on live television, but it took three hours for police to stop it. Those involved walked away and no arrests were made.

But the path is not cold.

UCLA investigators are currently scanning hundreds of images to identify the attackers. Law enforcement officials say they plan to use technology that captures facial images and compares them with other photos on the Internet and social media to assign names to faces.

The same technology has allowed police to identify suspects in retail burglaries. It was also at the heart of the Jan. 6 investigation, in which videos of people storming the U.S. Capitol helped the FBI identify many of the attackers and led federal prosecutors to charge more than 1,300 people. In these cases, investigators were often able to find images on social media of the attacker wearing the same clothing as during the attack.

“Technology has brought the entire community into the spotlight of law enforcement,” said retired Los Angeles police captain Paul Vernon, who led a crackdown following a mini-riot following the Lakers’ 2010 NBA championship win that led to dozens of arrests cited on videos, social media posts and security footage. “Photo recognition has become much easier.”

Vernon said an investigator could also collect cell phone data from the immediate area to prove a person was there at the time of the incident. In some cases, the attackers may have posted posts on their social media accounts essentially bragging about their actions. Officers with body cameras may also have filmed some of the behavior, he said.

The attackers likely came in vehicles, so UCLA police will examine data from license plate readers for movements near campus early Wednesday. Surveillance cameras on streets adjacent to campus, where they likely parked, could provide further clues.

In addition to the ongoing protests, finding those who attacked the camp will be a major challenge for UCLA’s newly installed associate vice chancellor, Rick Braziel, a former Sacramento police chief. Braziel will be tasked with bringing to justice those responsible for what Chancellor Gene Block called a “dark chapter in our campus history.”

Despite the technology, the probe faces hurdles. Some of the attackers wore masks, making them difficult to identify. In such cases, investigators will look for a moment before or after the attack when the perpetrators’ faces emerge, an official who was not authorized to discuss the investigation publicly told The Times.

There is also great anger among some demonstrators in the camp that it took so long for the police to stop the attack. This distrust could take a toll. Many of the injured students, some of whom were hospitalized with their wounds, have gone to groups such as the Council on American Islamic Relations for Southern California but have not spoken to campus police.

UCLA is a small police department, so it turns to other agencies and private entities for access to the technology needed for the investigation, law enforcement sources said. However, so far, UCLA has not made a public appeal seeking information on specific suspects.

After the Jan. 6 attack, the FBI made arrests based on information from relatives, co-workers, teammates, former friends and former significant others after the FBI released photos of suspects. An army of web detectives and politically knowledgeable social media observers known as “riot hunters” also dedicated themselves to identifying the mob and providing their names to the FBI.

Pictures of the UCLA attack appear on Instagram. In one instance, a man is seen hitting a pro-Palestinian protester with a board and then punching and kicking others. Dressed in a black sweatshirt, white sweatpants and a black cap, his bearded face is not hidden. Police can use this image to track him down or ask for help identifying him.