Police officers in South Wales and Gwent are the first in the UK to use a facial recognition app to confirm the identity of an unknown person.
Known as Operator Initiated Facial Recognition (OIFR), the app will enable officers to confirm the identity of someone who is missing, at risk or wanted in circumstances when they’re unable to provide details, refuse to give details or provide false details.
The app can also be used on someone who has passed away or is unconscious – helping officers to identify them promptly so their family can be reached with care and compassion.
OIFR has already been tested by 70 officers across South Wales who were able to use it in a range of scenarios where people either refused to identify themselves or provided false details.
In cases where someone is wanted by police for a criminal offence, it secures their quick arrest and detention.
Cases of mistaken identity are easily resolved and without the necessity to visit a police station or custody suite, said South Wales Police.
During the app’s pilot in December 2021 to March 2022, it was used on shoplifters who lied to try and avoid arrest to gain an out of court disposal.
Facial recognition is one of the technological advancements being used by South Wales and Gwent police to make officers’ work more efficient, allowing them to focus more on community safety.
T/assistant chief constable Trudi Meyrick of South Wales Police said the technology will enhance officer’s ability to accurately confirm a person’s identity, helping to ensure a fair and transparent resolution: “This mobile phone app means that with the taking of a single photograph which is compared to the police database, officers can easily and quickly answer the question of ‘Are you really the person we are looking for?’.
When dealing with a person of interest during their patrols in our communities, officers will be able to access instant information allowing them to identify whether the person stopped is, or isn’t, the person they need to speak to, without having to return to a police station.
“This technology doesn’t replace traditional means of identifying people and our police officers will only be using it in instances where it is both necessary and proportionate to do so, with the aim of keeping that particular individual, or the wider public, safe,” Meyrick added.
Photographs taken using the app are never retained and in private places such as houses, schools, medical facilities and places of worship the app will only be used in situations relating to a risk of significant harm.
No comments yet