The Metropolitan Police Service is planning a new pilot project on the use of live facial recognition (LFR) technology on public sites.
It has indicated that the pilot will run across the Croydon area of south London.
Cameras with an LFR capability will be fixed on existing lampposts and buildings and switched on when officers are using the technology in the area.
The plan comes three years after the Met Police claimed success from the use of LFR in operations around Oxford Circus.
This was one of the projects that has prompted protests from civil liberties groups about the use of the technology, and prompted a warning from the House of Lords Justice and Home Affairs Committee on the need for a clear legal foundation.
But it has won the support of the Home Office, which last year provided £5.5 million to police forces to deploy the relevant systems.
Deleting biometrics
The Met Police is planning safeguards for its use. For example, if a member of the public walks past an LFR camera and is not wanted by the police, their biometrics are immediately and permanently deleted.
If the technology generates a match, however, police officers may approach the person to conduct further checks to determine if they are a suspect.
Importantly, an alert from the system does not automatically result in an arrest: officers have to make a decision about whether further action is necessary.
Identifying offenders
A spokesperson for the Met said: “The Met is committed to making London safer, using data and technology to identify offenders that pose a risk to our communities.
“Last year we made over 500 arrests using LFR, removing dangerous individuals who were suspected of serious offences, including strangulation, stalking, domestic abuse and rape.
“We continue to engage with our communities to build understanding about how this technology works, providing reassurances that there are rigorous checks and balances in place to protect people’s rights and privacy.”
The pilot will be subject to evaluation and there are no current plans to extend the pilot to any other areas of London.
Late last year South Wales Police and Gwent Police revealed plans to equip their officers with a mobile phone facial recognition app to help identify people who are wanted, at risk or missing.
