UK police deploy live facial recognition to identify wanted suspects

UK police forces are deploying live facial recognition technology to identify wanted individuals at public events and in town centers.

In Exmouth, Devon and Cornwall Police utilized an adapted CCTV van to scan faces against a watchlist. During a demonstration, the system triggered a live alert that allowed officers to intercept a person of interest. Officials stated the technology is intended for crime hotspots to identify suspects, individuals recalled to prison, or missing persons.

Separately, Thames Valley Police used live facial recognition at the Reading Festival. The technology successfully detected several wanted individuals, including one person sought in connection with prolific retail crime. Police clarified that the system compares live feeds against pre-determined watchlists, and that human officers review every potential match before action is taken. They also noted that footage of individuals who do not trigger a match is automatically deleted.