Bahia facial recognition system breaks 2025 arrest record

The facial recognition system of the Bahia Public Security Secretariat (SSP-BA) has surpassed its total number of arrests from the entire year of 2025. In the first few days of November 2026, the technology facilitated 2,124 captures of individuals with outstanding arrest warrants, exceeding the 2,060 captures recorded throughout 2025.

Data from 2026 indicates that civil matters, specifically failure to pay child support, account for 46.5% of the captures. Other significant categories include robbery (13.2%), homicide (11.1%), and drug trafficking (8.1%). The system also identifies individuals wanted for crimes such as theft, violence against women, and rape of vulnerable persons.

Since its implementation in 2019, the system has assisted in locating 6,543 fugitives. The technology currently operates in 81 municipalities across Bahia and is deployed during major state events. It functions by cross-referencing camera imagery with the National Database of Arrest Warrants (BNMP) from the National Council of Justice (CNJ).