00:01Merside Police have continued deploying live facial recognition technology to enhance public safety and locate high-risk offenders swiftly.
00:09The system compares live camera images against a secure watch list of individuals wanted for serious offences or subject to
00:15court orders.
00:16If a possible match occurs, a police officer assesses the situation for deciding whether to approach the person.
00:21We have been on the streets of Liverpool to ask how you feel about the technology being used.
00:27I feel like facial recognition is going against our privacy.
00:36They automatically think if you walk away from it or hide your face, you're a criminal.
00:41No, it's not. Some people just don't like them.
00:43It's like when you walk through town and you see activists or whatever with their phones.
00:48Some people don't like it.
00:49I kind of have one of them faces anyway where if I do walk into somewhere, I kind of look
00:53like trouble anyway.
00:54Biometric data from non-matched individuals is immediately deleted.
00:59CCTV and watch list images follow strict retention schedules.
01:02Live facial recognitions used alongside conventional patrols and intelligence-led operations.
01:07Merside Police emphasise that the technology is aimed at preventing a crime, not disrupting the public.
01:13We've already got cameras anyway, which is great because, you know, when there's a crime being committed, sometimes it can
01:22be captured on.
01:23But I'm not in love to this facial ID recognition thing because it takes away all our rights.
01:31Aversion of privacy, 100% because I could have been trouble, which I was 20 years ago.
01:36I could have been what I was and now I am what I am and I don't believe I should
01:40be profiled on that.
01:41Police will also be using technology on some match days.
01:45Operations are planned for each fixture with signage and public notices explaining the system.
01:51Collaboration with stadium safety officers ensures a welcoming environment, they say.
01:56Privacy safeguards, including automatic deletion of unmatched data and watch list imagery within 24 hours are rigorously applied.
02:04I agree with outside football matches, but the likes of just walking through town going shopping, you know, it's wrong
02:12that you have to walk past it.
02:13You should be able to have a choice.
02:15It's going to make a lot less people showing up for these matches.
02:17100% it's going to half it because people that was trouble 20 years ago are now actually filling the
02:25stadiums with their children, their grandchildren.
02:27And they're just going to think, well, they're profiled because of my face.
02:30Obviously, if you've got someone who's being done for knife crime, you'd want to check that person out before they
02:35go in the stadium.
02:36Fans are encouraged to enjoy games responsibly while the force maintains vigilance.
02:39Mayerside Police say live facial recognition assists in protecting attendees and staff, targeting only those who pose risk of reinforcing
02:47broader match day safety planning.
02:49Officers say they are continuing to review live facial recognition use, ensuring effectiveness and proportionality.
02:54These deployments are pre-announced on the police website, supporting transparency.
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