UK Expands Live Facial Recognition with New Police Vans

London, Aug 13 (PTI) - The UK government announced plans to deploy an increased number of Live Facial Recognition (LFR) vans in towns and cities across the country to identify suspects involved in serious crimes. This initiative is part of the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, which aims to enhance law enforcement presence nationwide.

The Home Office has committed to assigning named, contactable officers to every neighbourhood in England and Wales, enabling immediate action on criminal activities. In support of this effort, 10 new LFR vans have been distributed to seven police forces, providing officers with advanced technology to apprehend high-risk offenders.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer emphasized, “No one should feel unsafe when leaving their homes. From today, every community in England and Wales will have dedicated officers focused on crime prevention.”

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper also announced that 3,000 new neighbourhood officers will be integrated into communities over the next year to address crimes such as off-road biking, shoplifting, and street theft. “We are committed to equipping police with the necessary tools to execute their duties. Facial recognition technology will be utilized selectively to identify sex offenders and individuals wanted for serious offenses,” Cooper stated.

To support this technological deployment, the Home Office will fund the 10 LFR vans and introduce a new legal framework to ensure stringent safeguards and checks are in place, enabling effective targeting of dangerous criminals.

The LFR vans are designed to detect and apprehend individuals suspected of heinous crimes, including sex offenses, violent assaults, murder, and gang-related activities, and will follow strict operational guidelines.

The Home Office noted that existing use of LFR technology has facilitated the arrest of rape, domestic abuse, knife crime, and robbery suspects, as well as monitoring offenders breaching court restrictions. It has also ensured safety at mass gatherings such as festivals and concerts.

Checks conducted using LFR technology are strictly limited to police watchlists of wanted individuals, suspects, and those under judicial constraints like sex offenders. Each van is operated by certified officers who confirm matches generated by the system.

The facial recognition algorithm employed in the new vans has undergone independent evaluation by the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), which confirmed that the technology is reliable and free from bias across ethnicity, age, or gender at the police-utilized settings.

The 10 LFR units will be allocated to police forces in Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, Bedfordshire, and jointly to Surrey and Sussex, as well as Thames Valley and Hampshire. Concurrently, the government has opened a public consultation to determine best practices and necessary safety measures regarding the use of this technology, in order to shape a transparent and trustworthy legal framework.

Lindsey Chiswick, NPCC lead for facial recognition, noted, “The police have a duty to prevent crime and keep the public safe. Live Facial Recognition enhances effective policing, allowing officers to locate suspects rapidly and precisely.”

This rollout is a key component of the UK government’s “Safer Streets Mission,” which aims to increase patrols and law enforcement efforts across over 500 town centres nationwide.

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