Live Facial Recognition rolled out in Surrey

Surrey Police and Sussex Police have been successful in our joint bid to obtain two live facial recognition (LFR) vans from the Home Office and after extensive planning, these are now live with our first deployment taking place today in Redhill. 

Live Facial Recognition technology is a real-time deployment comparing a live camera feed (or multiple feeds) of faces against a pre-determined watchlist. This will include wanted people like sex offenders and perpetrators of domestic abuse. 

Images of people who are not on the pre-determined watchlist will be instantly & permanently deleted from the system, thereby minimalising impact on their human rights. Watchlist images are deleted within 24 hours after each day of the deployment. 

Historically we know that there have been issues with facial recognition technology and a potential gender and ethnic bias. However, as the technology has developed this has greatly reduced and the national algorithm we will be using shows no statistical bias (as tested nationally). However, we have also committed to briefing officers before each deployment regarding the potential disparity to race, age and gender, and will ensure there is extra corroboration before any action or engagement is taken. 

For the people of interest who are flagged by the software as being on the watchlist, an officer will confirm the match before a decision is made about whether there are grounds for appropriate engagement or arrest. 

In line with statutory requirements, the vans will be clearly signposted when deployed and deployment locations will be publicised on our website in advance. Deployments will also only be authorised by those of a Superintendent rank and in a proportionate manner. 

Chief Inspector Andy Hill, lead for Live Facial Recognition in Surrey Police said; “The introduction of the live facial recognition vans, which are already being used successfully by other forces in the UK, is a vital tool to help us to investigate crime thoroughly and relentlessly pursue criminals. 

“We appreciate that some people may have concerns about the technology, but I would like to reassure that it has been extensively tested by the National Physical Laboratory and has already been successfully used by police forces across the country over the last few years. 

“We have been meticulously planning the rollout of the vans to ensure our use is appropriate, proportionate and that we are operating with transparency. We will only be deploying to specific locations based on crime data, hotspots and potentially as part of a wider operation. 

“It is our responsibility to use every tactic and innovation available to us to keep the public safe, deter criminality, protect people from harm and locate the most serious of offenders - and the Live Facial Recognition vans will help us to do exactly that.” 

Police and Crime Commissioner Lisa Townsend said: “I want to make sure our communities are as safe as possible for Surrey residents which is why our police officers must have every tool at their disposal to track down criminals operating in our midst.

“That is why I welcome the introduction of this important technology which has already proved successful in other parts of the country.

“These vans will be used proportionately and it is important to stress that law-abiding members of the Surrey public going about their daily business have nothing to fear by their use.

“The cameras will help our policing teams identify and detain those on a pre-determined watchlist such as violent criminals and sex offenders and take them off our streets.”

The vans will be available to be used by other Forces for mutual aid and will be funded by the Home Office for five years. 

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