NYPD Begins Photographing Suspects’ Irises

The NYPD hopes to keep track of suspects’ irises to keep prisoners from disguising themselves. The NYPD began taking pictures of suspects’ irises on Monday.

The new program, which started in Manhattan and will expand to other boroughs by next month, is designed to prevent suspects from disguising their identities.

The technology allows police to match a prisoner to his or her iris in as little as 5 seconds.

Police said the move was prompted by a recent case in which a felon passed himself as a lesser offender and walked out of the courthouse.

Police said the eye shots will not be kept on file if the charges are dismissed or if the case is sealed.

“They’re being treated as other cases would be,” said Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne, the NYPD’s top spokesman.