Meet the Black Female Police Officer Who Uses Her Photographic Memory to Fight Crime

Kache Fields, an African American officer with Metro Transit, uses her photographic memory to track down suspects across Washington, D.C. For seven years, she has helped close major cases by recalling faces with striking accuracy.

Fields, who grew up in Southeast D.C., serves as a BOLO specialist, short for “be on the lookout.” Each shift begins with her reviewing emails containing photos of wanted individuals. She commits those faces to memory, then scans the crowds as she patrols transit stations.

“I basically place them in my head, and when I’m patrolling my stations — that’s when I see the person and that BOLO photograph comes to the front of my head,” she told NBC Washington.

This ability has helped solve cases ranging from robberies to homicides and rape cases. She has assisted in thousands of investigations alongside Metro Transit, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service.

Her talent was first recognized in 2018 by a mentor, Detective Barlow, who noticed her sharp memory during a robbery case. Since then, Fields has stopped thousands of suspects, including a record eight BOLO arrests in a single day.

“You can change your outfit, but you can’t change your face,” she said. That mindset allows her to identify suspects even when they try to disguise themselves.

Despite Metro’s extensive network of cameras and technology, Fields relies on the mental images she carries. She believes her ability comes with a duty not only to protect the community but also to treat every suspect with dignity.

“I want the bad guys and the bad girls to know: I will find you. But I will also still treat you with respect as well as a human,” she said.