The British Transport Police (BTP) has announced trials of Live Facial Recognition (LFT) technology at railway stations across London.
Set to commence in the coming weeks; the pilot will run for six months at a number of transport hubs in the capital and aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the technology on British railways, its impact on public safety and the public’s response to its use.
Members of the public will be informed of the deployments ahead of time both online and via social media.
Deployments will be intelligence-led and are intended to be used to target crime hotspots on the network where data has shown it to be likely.
The introduction follows a period of intense research and planning and forms part of BTP’s commitment to using new technology to both identify and apprehend criminals wanted for serious offences.
Highly-visible cameras will be temporarily placed on station concourses, with QR codes and signage provided for the public to give feedback.
The cameras capture live footage of pedestrians passing before comparing their faces against an intelligence-led database of wanted offenders. If there is a match, an alert is generated, prompting an officer to review it and carry out further checks to determine if the person is a suspect.
Chief Superintendent Chris Casey, BTP’s Senior Officer Overseeing the Project, said:As the police force responsible for protecting the railways in England, Scotland and Wales, we take our commitment to keeping the travelling public safe incredibly seriously. We want them to know that as well as actively patrolling and investigating, we’re investing in technology that is going to make them safer too.
We’ve seen great results from our policing partners when deploying LFR, and we’re confident that our use of the technology will enable us to achieve similar results.
I can assure anyone concerned about their privacy that we’re absolutely committed to using LFR ethically and in line with privacy safeguards. Deployments will comply with all relevant legal and regulatory standards, and oversight will include internal governance and external engagement with ethics and independent advisory groups.
When the pilot is complete, we’ll conduct a full assessment to review outcomes, identify lessons learned, and inform future planning. I encourage anyone who encounters our use of LFR when the trial begins to engage with us so we can make sure that we’re using it in the best way and helping to make our railways as safe as possible.
