POLICE are being urged to use Big Brother-style facial recognition cameras after one snared a wanted pervert at the King’s Coronation.
Policing minister Chris Philp has held meetings with Home Office officials and private firm Facewatch to discuss a more widespread adoption.
Policing minister Chris Philp has held meetings with Home Office officials and private firm Facewatch to discuss a more widespread adoption
The Met in London and South Wales Police are the only two forces so far to regularly use the technology.
The Government is prepared to provide extra funding to spearhead a national roll-out.
Ministers are also expected to issue guidance to chief constables on the effective and legal use of facial recognition.
It follows the arrest of a man, 33, close to Buckingham Palace on May 6, the day of Charles III’s Coronation.
His face scan matched a mugshot on a Scotland Yard watchlist of 10,451 known offenders and he was arrested for breaching a sexual offences prevention order.
The camera on Piccadilly scanned 30,000 faces, another near the Thames at Savoy Place a further 17,250 and a third at Waterloo 20,000 more.
Earlier this month, the cameras were used by Northants Police at Silverstone amid fears Just Stop Oil activists would target the British Grand Prix. No arrests were made.
The Home Office said: “Facial recognition plays a crucial role in helping the police tackle serious offences including murder, knife crime, rape, child sexual exploitation and terrorism.
“New technology is key to more effective, efficient policing. We’re keen to see more forces use facial recognition, in a fair and proportionate way.”
But Mark Johnson, of campaign group Big Brother Watch, said: “Government ministers should strive to protect human rights, not cosy up to private companies whose products pose serious threats to civil liberties in the UK.”
