Nottinghamshire Police deployed live facial recognition technology in Nottingham city centre for the first time today, Friday 21 August.
The marked police van, equipped with a 360-degree dual-camera system, was stationed in Old Market Square as officers monitored the surrounding area.
The cameras scan the faces of people passing the vehicle and compare them with a police watchlist containing images of individuals suspected of serious offences or wanted for safeguarding reasons.
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When the system identifies a potential match, an alert is sent to officers, who must review it and decide whether to approach the person. Police say scans that do not produce a match are deleted within seconds and are not retained.
Signs were displayed around the deployment area informing members of the public that the technology was operating.
The launch follows the force’s announcement in July that facial recognition camera vans would be deployed across Nottinghamshire.
The Wire captured this video and pictures of the technology operating in Old Market Square during its first deployment.
