Imagine being able to recall any face you’ve ever seen. That’s reality for Metro Transit Police Officer Kache Fields, whose extraordinary photographic memory has made her one of the most effective crime fighters in the D.C. area.
For the past seven years, the Southeast D.C. native has been known as a “be on the lookout” (BOLO) specialist, identifying up to eight suspects a day and helping solve serious cases—including rapes, homicides, robberies, and gun-related crimes.
“I want the bad guys and the bad girls to know: I will find you. But I will also still treat you with respect,” Fields told News4 during a patrol interview.
Officer Fields’ work involves memorizing hundreds of faces sent through police BOLO alerts. She stores each image mentally—like flipping through a photo album in her head—and recalls them while patrolling Metro stations.
Her unique ability has aided thousands of investigations across the Metro system and even extended to cases involving the U.S. Marshals Service.
Fields says her gift was discovered early in her career thanks to a mentor, Detective Barlow, who recognized her talent after she identified one of his most notorious robbery suspects purely by memory.
Officer Fields’ talent is just one example of how human intuition—and a powerful mind—can still be among the best crime-solving tools available
