'Memory man' police officer spots 3,000 suspects

A police officer with a talent for remembering faces has hit a new milestone of spotting 3,000 suspects.

Andy Pope, of Redditch, who has been nicknamed "memory man" by his colleagues, works on a West Midlands Police travel team that patrols bus, rail, and metro stations across the region.

The police community support office has spotted suspects in connection with offences such as attempted murder, assaults, and sex attacks.

"It's really hard to explain how I manage to remember and spot faces, as it just comes natural," Mr Pope, 47, said in a statement.

He has spotted wanted men and women in crowded places, while waiting at traffic lights, and even while suspects were wearing face masks during the Covid pandemic.

When starting a shift, he will often look through CCTV, video stills, and police briefings to get up to date on people who are wanted.

Mr Pope joined the force in 2012. He was awarded a Chief Constable's Award in 2018, a year after hitting his 1,000-suspect milestone.

He is also an honorary member of the Association of Super Recognisers, a body that represents those with excellent memory skills and works with academics to encourage research into this area.

Mr Pope said it "was a nice feeling" to hit the 3,000 mark and he hoped to reach many more milestones in the future.

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