PCC Donna Jones says the use of AI is key to reducing crime and making communities safer across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight safer following three-day trial

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary is one of the first forces in the country to consider introducing live facial recognition technology to combat criminals with outstanding warrants for their arrest.

South Wales Police have used the technology in development for the last four years. This week, the Welsh force brought their specialist facial recognition vans to Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary for a three-day pilot.

The vans have been on location in Portsmouth, Southampton, Basingstoke and Winchester. The operation is targeting outstanding suspects for high risk and priority offences, people wanted on warrants or who have evaded court proceedings.

The images of people of interest are fed through the specially designed AI computer linked to a camera in the police vehicle. The camera scans the faces of everyone walking past the van, with images of people not on the watch list automatically and immediately deleted.

PCC Donna Jones said: “This technology is part of the Constabulary’s strategy to enhance public safety, improve policing efficiency, and support efforts to locate high-risk individuals.

“Live facial recognition technology is ground-breaking. In order to check people of interest on this scale, we would need hundreds more police officers across both counties. This is about the police working smarter not harder, freeing up more time for crime prevention and intervention with the public.

“The new technology complements the more traditional policing methods, leading to suspects being detained quicker thereby freeing up police time to fight crime, to be out on the streets patrolling and to respond to the public when they are needed.

“It’s important that I fund the most cutting edge technology to enable the police to apprehend criminals and suspects as quickly as possible and take them off our streets. In today’s world, offenders are using AI and cutting edge methods for their own gain. It’s right that I am supporting the police to use AI to identify offenders and keep the public safe.

“This is a forward-thinking approach for modern policing. I am pleased that Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary is embracing the use of this technology. It is another vital step in further protecting communities.”

The live facial recognition vans were in Portsmouth on Tuesday 10 September, in Southampton on Wednesday 11 September, and are in Basingstoke and Winchester today (Thursday 12 September).

The areas where they are deployed are clearly marked with police officers available to talk to any members of the public. A police officer will conduct enquiries with anyone who is matched during the three-day operation.

How does the Live Facial Recognition (LFR) technology work?

• LFR creates biometric facial templates from live video feeds of crowds. These templates are compared against a bespoke watch list of individuals that police are actively seeking.
• Any image that does not trigger an alert is immediately deleted.
• Watch list images and their biometric templates are deleted within 24 hours of each deployment day.
• Officers review alerts before taking any further action, ensuring matches are verified and decisions are made in line with standard policing protocols. 

There is further information about the live facial recognition trial on the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary webpage