DeCarlo Supports Bill to Change Photo ID Process

Former Police Chief John DeCarlo, a , is supporting a bill before the state Legislature to mandate changes in how police conduct photo line-ups to see if witnesses can identify a suspect.

A New Haven Register article this week said DeCarlo, who retired in 2011 and is a member of the state’s Eyewitness Task Force, believes that showing photos to witnesses one at a time instead of in groups would reduce the chance of a false identification.

DeCarlo said research shows when witnesses are shown groups of photos, they compare the suspect to other members of the group rather than to their own memories. Witnesses are less likely to make false identifications that can result in convictions of innocent people.