What should officers ensure when conducting a lineup in terms of the suspect's identity?

When conducting a lineup, it is essential that the fillers closely resemble the suspect. This practice helps to mitigate the risk of misidentification by ensuring that the witness or victim is evaluating a group of individuals who fit the same general characteristics as the suspect. When fillers look similar to the suspect, it becomes more difficult for a witness to pick someone out based merely on appearance rather than their memory or any preconceived notions about who the perpetrator may be. This serves to uphold the integrity of the identification process and helps enhance the reliability of any subsequent testimony or evidence.

In addition to this, having fillers that resemble the suspect also supports the principle of fairness in the identification process. It is crucial for ensuring that the witness's identification is based on actual memory instead of their context or biases influenced by the suspect's distinctiveness. This approach holds significant value in maintaining the procedural justice and can significantly impact the outcome of a case when identifying suspects.