Western Australia Police’s mobile live facial recognition trial scanned more than 130,000 faces in its first week, generating 33 alerts that led to 19 arrests as the force began testing the technology in crowded public spaces.
The single marked police van also contributed to two welfare checks and prompted officers to engage with 21 registered sex offenders. Police acknowledged that two alerts were false, underscoring the role of officers who review each system notification before deciding whether to approach a person.
The five-month trial compares faces captured from a live camera feed with a predefined watchlist. That list includes people wanted on outstanding warrants, suspects in serious offenses, people subject to legal restrictions, missing persons and individuals who may pose a risk to themselves or others. An alert alone is not grounds for arrest or the exercise of police powers.
One arrest occurred during a media event at Mirrabooka bus station when the system flagged a woman wanted for failing to appear in court. Officers confirmed the alert and removed her from the crowd. The episode illustrated the near-real-time process that distinguishes the trial from retrospective facial searches on recorded video.
The operational results move the program beyond the initial announcement of Australia’s first police live facial recognition trial. WA Police has now scheduled further overt deployments in Perth on July 21, July 22 and July 24, with another in Joondalup on July 23. The force says each deployment requires authorization from an officer at superintendent rank or above.
Police state that faces not generating an alert are pixelated on the operator’s screen and that associated biometric data is deleted automatically and immediately. Alert records may be retained when required for an investigation or complaint. Marked vehicles, signs and online notices are used to tell the public when the cameras are operating.
Privacy officials and researchers remain concerned about false matches, demographic performance and expansion beyond the trial’s current scope. Western Australia’s Office of the Information Commissioner is monitoring the program under the state’s Privacy and Responsible Information Sharing Act and has said that processing a face still counts as collection even when the data is held briefly.
The scrutiny follows broader Australian disputes about facial recognition in retail settings, including the partial reversal of the Bunnings privacy ruling. WA Police plans to publish results from each deployment, providing a record for assessing arrest outcomes, false alerts and compliance as the trial continues.
Sources: Western Australia Police Force, The Guardian
–
By Ali Nassar-Smith
