Comment by phkahler

Not even close to the same thing. People aren't very reliable witnesses either, But they are pretty good at identifying people they actually know.

It's also poor practice to search a database using a photo or even DNA to go fishing for a suspect. A closest match will generally be found even if the actual perpetrator isn't in the database. I think on some level the authorities know this, which is why they dont seed the databases with their own photos and DNA.