Live Facial Recognition Technology
What is Facial Recognition Technology?
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary uses facial recognition technology to prevent and detect crime and help protect the vulnerable.
Facial Recognition is a technology capable of comparing a human face from a digital image against a database of faces.
The specific purpose for Live Facial Recognition deployment is:
To support Policing in the identification of persons wanted for priority offences, to support law enforcement including the administration of justice (through arrest of persons wanted on warrant or unlawfully at large/ recall to prison), and to ensure and promote the safeguarding of children and vulnerable persons at risk.
How does Facial Recognition Technology work?
It analyses key facial features and generates a mathematical representation of these features. It then compares them against the mathematical representation of known faces in a database, generating possible matches.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary uses Facial Recognition Technology in the following cases:
- Live Facial Recognition (LFR) compares a live camera feed of faces against a predetermined watchlist to find a possible match that generates an alert.
- Retrospective Facial Recognition (RFR) is a post event use of facial recognition technology, which compares still images of faces of unknown subjects against a reference image database in order to identify them.
Nationally, Facial Recognition Technology is also used by policing in the following case, however this is not currently employed within Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Constabulary:
- Operator Initiated Facial Recognition (OIFR) is a mobile phone use of FRT technology, which compares a photograph of a person’s face taken on a mobile phone to the predetermined watchlist to assist an officer to identify a subject.
Whenever we use Facial Recognition Technology, we recognise there is an ongoing need to balance privacy and protection concerns, in addition to considering its legal and ethical implications.
Future deployments
Wednesday 10 June - Portsmouth
Live Facial Recognition documents
The PDFs on this page may not be suitable for users of assistive technology. We are in the process of updating them, but please email us to request an accessible version. See our accessibility statement.
Policy Document for overt deployment of LFR
Data Protection Impact Assessment
Surveillance Camera Code self-assessment tool
Frequently asked questions
Are all facial profiles that are captured, stored for any length of time? Can only suspects and wanted people be identified, or does it use other sources of facial profiles in addition to police records?
The LFR system does not store your biometric data. Within a few seconds it is automatically deleted. In addition, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary will delete all alerts immediately after using them or within 31 days. The CCTV footage used by the technology, is recorded, and kept for up to 31 days. If there is an incorrect alert, the information and image will be swiftly deleted.
What is the list of faces that are used to compare during the deployment?
This is a watch list for deployments which contain details of people who are wanted for crimes, subject to court orders or pose a risk to the public. Unless you are on the watch list you cannot be matched. When the technology finds a possible match, an alert is generated.
Any alerts are verified by an operator prior to an intervention by officers on the ground. The system will only seek to match those individuals placed on the watch list. Each watch list is unique to that event where the technology is being deployed.
What is meant by deleting "no alert" images and biometric data immediately if CCTV footage is kept for 31 days?
There are two separate elements to the LFR system. Firstly, there is traditional CCTV, the footage for which is kept for 31 days. This is no different to any other CCTV system. The second element is the Live-Time Facial Recognition element, which creates a biometric template of faces passing the camera. This template is compared against the faces stored on the pre-defined watchlist. If there is a match then the operators are alerted and a match-report produced. These images are deleted within 24 hours in most cases, but held for no longer than 31 days. If there is no match then the data is deleted within less than a second.
What about privacy rights and the legality of live facial recognition technology?
The use of live facial recognition technology by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary is designed to be responsible, proportionate, and fair. It aims to keep the public safe, identifying serious offenders and protecting the vulnerable. Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary uses transparency that demonstrates effectiveness, proportionality and compliance with legislation and guidelines when deploying live facial recognition technology.
Can I opt out if I'm a law-abiding citizen?
Only persons who are wanted or suspect will be on an authorised watch list, and they are unable to opt out. If you wish to physically avoid a deployment this is not grounds on its own for us to have any interaction with you. We will always publish the dates and locations of a deployment several days in advance, except in very exceptional circumstances.
Will there be any data kept on file and if so, how do we apply for access to that data?
Images/biometric data of those who don’t cause an alert are automatically and immediately deleted. Images which cause an alert are deleted within a few seconds of using them, or within 31 days. CCTV footage that's used by the LFR technology is recorded and kept for 31 days.
Is the live facial recognition technology discriminatory in any way?
Historically there have been issues with Facial Recognition Technology and potential gender, age and ethnic bias. As the technology has developed over time this bias has reduced greatly.
Following work by South Wales Police, the Met, and the National Physics Laboratory, a report has been produced which gives an impartial, scientifically underpinned and evidence-based analysis of the performance of the facial recognition algorithm currently used by the Metropolitan Police Service and South Wales Police. As a result:
- There is now a better understanding of the demographic performance of the LFR system. There are settings the algorithm can be operated at where there is no statistical significance between demographic performance.
Is the data being passed on to other parties?
We will never pass biometric data to third party agencies.
All CCTV footage generated from a mobile CCTV deployment is deleted within 31 days, except in the following examples when it is retained:
- In accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018, MOPI and the Criminal Procedures and Investigations Act 1996; and /or
- In accordance with Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary's complaints / conduct investigation policies.
Can you tell us roughly what percentage of facial captures are recognised by the system? Also, what facial database do you use to compare images against?
This percentage can vary and is impacted by several factors including the scope of the watch list and how many people pass through the zone of recognition for the camera.
How will you inform the public you're using LFR?
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary will do everything reasonably possible to inform the public where we are using Facial Recognition technology for example:
- Online before it is used
- Force website where the results are published of when LFR is used
- Information leaflets for the public we engage with following a match
- Posters and signs to include QR codes to make people aware LFR is being used and where they can go to find further information
- Police officers are available to explain to the public how LFR works and why we are using it