I'm never sure what use the picture is. When I worked at the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce we had to show our badges to the security guard every morning. Because I was a coop student, I did not have a picture on my badge. In the blank spot where the picture should have been I taped a picture of Snoopy cut from the Saturday colour comics. It was one where Snoopy was sitting in a tree, all droopy, as if he was a vulture.
Every day for four months I showed this badge to the guards. Now, either I really look like that at 8:30 am, or the picture means very little.
It's also been repeatedly proven that you can walk away with any piece of equipment in the office, so long as you have blue coveralls and a hand cart. No badge required.