South African Police Tender Makes Facial Recognition Mandatory for Body Cameras

The South African Police Service has made facial recognition a mandatory component of a three-year tender for body-worn cameras, vehicle dashboard cameras and supporting software.

Tender RFB 3286-2026 covers the supply, delivery, support and maintenance of the camera systems. Bidders must provide facial recognition and integration with security platforms, with failure to meet the requirement resulting in exclusion from further evaluation.

The tender also calls for a video-management system with motion, face and license-plate recognition. Dashboard cameras must include automatic number-plate recognition and use embedded artificial intelligence to identify events such as the activation of emergency lights, the opening of a vehicle door or a collision.

Officer authentication is built into the body-camera specification. The system must be able to identify the officer releasing a camera from its docking station through face matching, fingerprint scanning or a key code, creating a link between each device and its assigned user.

Other requirements include a 120-second video buffer before and after a recorded event, remote activation and an option to begin recording automatically when an officer removes a firearm from its holster. The cameras must also support disabling visible indicators for operations in which lights or sounds could compromise officer safety.

The facial-recognition requirement brings identification technology directly into the police video workflow. The approach differs from a recent Edmonton Police Service trial that tested face matching on body-camera footage, but both connect mobile video capture with automated identity searches.

Police use of biometric video tools has also prompted closer scrutiny of procurement and governance. A UK watchdog recently warned that some forces were buying biometric systems without a sufficient understanding of their capabilities and risks.

SAPS is seeking unit prices rather than a fixed camera quantity. Equipment would be ordered as needed, with volumes determined by available funding and negotiations with successful suppliers.

Bids are due by 11 a.m. on September 29. The resulting contract is intended to provide SAPS with an integrated platform for recording incidents, managing evidence and applying face and plate analytics across officer-worn and vehicle-mounted cameras.

Sources: TechCentral

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By the ID Tech Editorial Team