Police address concerns over 'gender and ethnic bias' as live facial recognition technology comes to Sussex and Surrey

Live Facial Recognition technology (LFR) vans were successfully deployed for the first time in Redhill and Crawley on Thursday (November 13).

This follows a successful bid by both Surrey Police and Sussex Police, to obtain two LFR vans from the Home Office.

"After extensive planning, these are now live,” a police spokesperson said.

"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 deleted forever from the system, thereby reducing impact on their human rights.”

Police said watchlist images are deleted within 24 hours after each day of the deployment.

They added: “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 use shows no statistical bias.

“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 the police websites in advance. Deployments will also only be authorised by those of a superintendent rank and in a ‘proportionate manner’.

Read the full report from Henry Bryant at https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/people/police-launch-live-facial-recognition-vans-across-sussex-and-surrey-5400931