Essex Police use facial recognition tech at Clacton Airshow

The airshow takes place on August 22-23, and will see the use of new live facial recognition (LFR) to help the police keep the event safe. 

The technology compares live camera feeds of faces against a database or ‘watch list’ of 'people of interest'.

Police say only images of specific people wanted in connection with high harm and violent crimes are contained on the database.

Team - officers trialling the equipment (Image: Essex Police)

Assistant Chief Con Andy Pritchard said the technology is an investment in the community.

“It’s an effective way of finding people we want to speak to and keeping the public safe," he said.

“Using LFR to find someone can be a more efficient use of resources than a team of officers carrying out various time-consuming enquiries to locate them.

“This technology can save time for our officers, leaving them able to focus on additional force priorities to protect and help the public, and further investigations.”

Vehicles - the vans with live facial recognition technology in them (Image: Essex Police)

The controversial technology is designed to focus on specific people the police are trying to locate.

But there have been concerns nationally about privacy and wrongful arrests. 

Mr Pritchard said: “We take people’s privacy really seriously.

“The technology utilises CCTV camera feeds to LFR software to scan faces against a predetermined database or ‘watch list’ of people of interest. 

“The scanning of an image takes less than a second and an image of anyone not on the watchlist is automatically and immediately deleted and not stored.

“When there is a positive match, appropriate action will be taken by officers on the ground to confirm ID and then assess what the next action is to be taken.”

Informed - a live facial recognition poster (Image: Essex Police)ACC Pritchard continued: “Our first deployment at the Clacton Airshow is a really exciting moment for the force.

“We’re deploying there to ensure you’re safe if you’re planning to go to the airshow.

“We want you and your family to enjoy the airshow and using LFR will help keep you safe and have a good day.

“We’re looking for specific people wanted for serious offences and to enforce orders so ordinary members of the public should have no concerns about the vans being there.

“If you are going to the airshow and see our officers who are operating the vans, please come and say hello and ask questions about the technology."