South Wales Police has confirmed that Live Facial Recognition technology will be deployed proactively in Cardiff today, Friday, February 27.
The force says the move is aimed at locating suspects, wanted individuals and high risk missing people as part of its ongoing efforts to prevent and detect crime.
Officers will be using clearly marked vehicles and recognition zones during the deployment. Members of the public who want to know more about the technology are encouraged to speak to the team on the ground. Officers say they are happy to explain how the system works and, where possible, provide demonstrations.
What is Facial Recognition Technology
Facial Recognition Technology, often shortened to FRT, is used by South Wales Police to help prevent and detect crime and protect vulnerable people.
The system compares a human face from a digital image or live camera feed against a database of faces. It does this by analysing key facial features and turning them into a unique mathematical representation using NEC’s NeoFace M40 algorithm. That representation is then compared with stored data to generate possible matches.
Different types of facial recognition in use
South Wales Police uses three main types of facial recognition technology.
Live Facial Recognition compares faces captured on a live camera feed against a pre set watchlist. If a possible match is found, the system generates an alert for officers to review.
Retrospective Facial Recognition is used after an incident has taken place. It compares still images of unknown individuals against a reference database to help identify them.
Operator Initiated Facial Recognition is a mobile phone based tool. An officer can take a photograph of a person’s face on a mobile device and compare it against a watchlist to help confirm their identity.
Today’s deployment in Cardiff forms part of the force’s wider use of technology to support policing activity across South Wales.
