Cheshire Constabulary has completed its first live facial recognition deployment and plans to extend the program with a watchlist that includes images supplied by neighboring police forces.
The initial operation took place in Chester city centre on July 11 as part of Operation Vigilant, a program focused on violence against women and girls, safeguarding and locating people wanted for serious offenses. It was the first of four LFR deployments planned by the force.
Cheshire officers worked with live facial recognition operators from Greater Manchester Police. The deployment area also included neighborhood officers, the Sexual Offender Management Unit and Project Servator personnel. Officers spoke with members of the public about how images were processed and the privacy safeguards applied to the system.
The force reported three community resolutions for Class A drug possession, the seizure of an illegally used e-bike and the safeguarding of a vulnerable woman during the wider operation. It did not say that those outcomes resulted from facial recognition alerts, and it reported no arrest in connection with the safeguarding intervention.
A further deployment planned for later this month is expected to use authorized watchlist images from neighboring police forces. Cheshire described that step as a UK first, adding a cross-force element to a technology that has generally been deployed against watchlists assembled by the force operating the cameras.
The deployment adds Cheshire to a growing group of British forces expanding LFR beyond occasional event deployments. The Metropolitan Police has been preparing a larger network of static facial recognition cameras in London’s West End, while mobile systems are increasingly used in town centers and at major gatherings.
Expansion has also intensified scrutiny of procurement and oversight. The UK’s Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner recently warned that some police organizations were buying biometric systems without sufficient technical understanding, citing the need for clear governance, testing and accountability.
Cheshire said its use of LFR would be responsible, proportionate and transparent. The planned cross-force watchlist deployment will place particular attention on how images are authorized, how matches are reviewed and which force is responsible for each watchlist entry as regional collaboration increases.
Sources: Cheshire Constabulary
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By the ID Tech Editorial Team
