LIVE facial recognition cameras will be deployed at major Tube stations in London in a matter of hours to help catch those wanted for sexual offences, robbery and knife crime.
The cameras are being trialled on Tuesday, scanning people’s faces in real time as they move about the stations.
for London (TfL) has confirmed Victoria will be the first Tube station to have the technology deployed at.
TfL said they are keen to use the technology to identify people on a watchlist and help catch “high harm” offenders.
The (BTP) has said the camera will be at key stations for maximum impact based on intelligence and analysis of data.
The cameras will be placed in signed areas, allowing people to make “informed choices about passing through”, TfL said.
TfL also said images of people who are not a match to the watchlist will be “automatically and immediately deleted”.
There will also be “alternative routes available” if people don’t want to be on camera.
LFR was first trialled by the Met in August 2016 at the , and first officially deployed the technology in 2020.
It has since been rolled out to all police forces in and in January and has been widely criticised by groups for infringing on civil liberties.
Siwan Hayward, director of security, policing and enforcement at TfL, said: “Everyone should be able to travel without fear of harassment, intimidation or violence.
“Tackling violence against women and girls and preventing sexual offending on our network remains a key priority.
“Live facial recognition has the potential to be a powerful additional tool in helping police quickly identify those wanted for high-harm offences, including sexual offences, and supports early intervention and helps stop incidents before they happen.”
She described the trial as “an important step” in understanding how the technology can be used on the network “in a targeted, proportionate way with strict safeguards in place”.
Chief Superintendent Chris Casey, BTP’s senior officer responsible for the project, said: “This marks an important new stage in our trial of LFR technology.
“Expanding deployments into London Underground stations will help us assess the technology in a different transport environment while continuing to refine how it is used across the railway network.
“Our deployments are intelligence-led and focused on identifying people wanted by the police or , including those suspected of serious offences and those who may be breaching bail conditions or court orders.”
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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