Police cars could get facial recognition cameras

Police vehicles carrying live facial recognition cameras could be in use across a county within the next month.

The police and crime commissioner (PCC) for Bedfordshire, John Tizard, said the technology may be rolled out in July but that August was "more likely" due to ongoing national approval delays.

The technology had already been tested at the Bedford River Festival by the force, which led to two people being arrested.

Speaking at the Bedfordshire Police and Crime Panel on Tuesday, Tizard said: "We are still waiting for the Home Office to agree on the technology to be used across the country."

He added they "have got officers trained and we have got vehicles", which could be used as part of the force's Safer Streets Summer Initiative.

While operational decisions on the camera deployment rest with the chief constable, the PCC must give consent to its overall application.

The commissioner clarified that this does not extend to individual deployments.

"He won't be coming to me to say, 'We're going to deploy it in Biggleswade town centre on this day,'" he added.

The PCC also addressed concerns about how the technology works and the safeguards in place.

"When the police use it, a photographic image is taken and matched against predetermined databases," he said.

"If there is no match, the image is deleted immediately, in contrast with CCTV, where the image could be kept for some time.

"If there is a match, the system alerts a police officer to investigate further."

Councillor Marc Frost from Bedford Borough Council asked how success would be measured and what safeguards existed to prevent misuse.

The PCC said the force would follow national guidance and legal requirements as reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"My plan is to set up an ethical panel that will not only have oversight of this area, but the whole use of AI across the police," he said.

"It won't be established in time for this use of the LFR (live facial recognition), but it would have community representatives and independent members with expertise."

The PCC stressed that the technology is intended to support officers, not replace them.

Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.