Three arrests after force trials facial recognition

Essex Police said it would look to introduce the technology if trials proved successful

A police force which used live facial recognition (LFR) technology for the first time said it had led to three arrests, including one on suspicion of rape.

Essex Police trialled LFR on high streets in Chelmsford and Southend this week.

The force said it hoped the technology would help them catch criminals who were wanted for serious offences, and that it would look to introduce the technology if trials proved successful.

The privacy campaign group Big Brother Watch has described LFR as "dangerously authoritarian" and a "threat to our privacy and freedoms".

'Instantaneously deleted'

Essex Police said the technology was on loan from South Wales Police, where there had been "not one single wrongful arrest" since it was first used in March 2022.

In total, three people were arrested by Essex Police following the use of LFR, including one on suspicion of rape, another as part of a robbery investigation and a third for an outstanding warrant.

Detective Superintendent Stephen Jennings said: “This was a really positive first deployment.

“As a result we have two suspects in custody and have arranged an interview in connection with another investigation."

Essex Police said anyone scanned by the technology and not on their database would have their image deleted "instantaneously".

"It's only when we pair it up to somebody who's wanted… that we will keep the picture for up to 24 hours," Assistant Chief Constable Andy Mariner added.

The equipment being used by Essex Police is on loan from South Wales Police

Facial recognition technology can be used by police to scan large groups of people and by running photos through an image database known as a "watch list".

Chris Philp, MP for Croydon South and minister for crime, policing and fire said the technology was being used by the Metropolitan Police at large events such as football matches.

"It was used at a Premier League game in London just a few weeks ago, and they arrested a wanted sex offender who happened to wander into the ground," he said.

"They also found two people on football banning orders.

"For the 99.9% of people going to that football game who weren't on the list, the image was immediately deleted."

Police officers can act immediately if a wanted person is detected by LFR

Earlier this month, a group of politicians and privacy campaigners said that police and private companies should "immediately stop" the use of facial recognition surveillance over concerns around human rights, potential for discrimination and "the lack of a democratic mandate".

The Home Office said facial recognition had "a sound legal basis" and had already led to criminals being caught.