The Metropolitan Police Service has announced the arrest of nine individuals in Romford and Woolwich with the help of Live Facial Recognition technology. This deployment is part of the Met’s ongoing commitment to reduce crime within London communities.
This advanced technology is being strategically placed across London boroughs. It assists officers in identifying individuals wanted by the courts and police. The arrests made in Romford and Woolwich addressed offences such as breaching Sexual Harm Prevention Orders, breaching court orders, cruelty to children, and aggravated burglary.
Here’s how Live Facial Recognition works: The system checks the faces of passersby against a designated watchlist. When a match is found an alert is triggered, prompting officers to assess the image and potentially approach the individual.
Importantly, the technology automatically deletes data on anyone not identified on the watchlist within seconds, ensuring privacy for members of the public.
Live Facial Recognition (LFR) systems have cameras focused on a particular area. When someone passes through that area, their images are streamed to the LFR system, which contains a watchlist of individuals who are wanted by the police and/or the courts, or those who pose a risk of harm to themselves or others.
The Met says “It does not use all CCTV cameras from across London to track every person’s movements.”
While the Met Police hail facial recognition technology as a success in recent arrests, there exists a vocal group of campaigners with significant concerns.
Here’s a look at their worries:
The use of facial recognition CCTV in London sparks debate, with some citizens strongly supporting its deployment.
Here’s a look at the arguments in favour:
While the Met Police emphasize their are safeguards in place, such as automatic deletion of unidentified faces, anti-facial recognition campaigners believe these are not enough. They advocate for stricter regulations, limitations on deployment, and robust public discourse on the ethical implications of this powerful technology.
PDF -> Standard Operating Procedures
Further information about the testing can be found in the test strategy document and the DPIA Annex.
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