3 days ago
Man wanted since 2012 arrested after facial recognition app match
Man wanted since 2012 arrested after facial recognition app match
The fugitive, wanted in Poland, was detained after he was spotted in Cardiff by the app
Facial Recognition Vehicles in place in Cardiff
A man wanted on a European arrest warrant since 2012 for assaulting a police officer with a weapon and drug dealing in Poland, is among those who has been identified and arrested as a result of a new facial recognition app being used in south Wales.
Officers in South Wales and Gwent Police are the first in the UK to use the operator initiated facial recognition (OIFR) app, allowing them to identify individuals in near-real time at the touch of a button.
As well as identifying people who may have given false details, or who refuse to provide details, the app can also be used to identify those who may not be able to provide details due to vulnerability or because they're unconscious or have passed away.
In South Wales, 50 searches have been conducted which resulted in 10 arrests, two individuals reported for summons, two identified for non-criminal matters and six no further action.
In Gwent there have been six completed uses, resulting in three matches. Two were for concerns for safety and one resulting in arrest of a man who gave false details to officers and was correctly identified using the app. The police system confirmed that he was wanted for shoplifting, assault and a motoring offence. He was subsequently charged and convicted.
What is operator initiated facial recognition?
South Wales Police says that OIFR is a mobile phone use of facial recognition technology (FRT), which compares a photograph of a person's face, taken on a police issue mobile phone, to the predetermined image reference database to assist an officer to identify a person for a policing purpose.
Its website states: "Police officers may use the OIFR mobile app to confirm the identity of an unknown person who they suspect is missing, at imminent risk of serious harm or wanted, in circumstances when they're unable to provide details, refuse to give details or provide false details.
"OIFR can also be used on a person who has died or is unconscious allowing officers to identify them so their family can be traced quickly.
"The OIFR is an overt policing tool. OIFR should be used after an engagement between the Officer and the unknown person has been attempted.
"Independent testing by the National Physical Laboratory found that OIFR achieved 100% accuracy, always returning the correct match as the top result, for persons in the database.
"At the threshold settings we are using, if the person is not in the database, it will not return any results."
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One notable use in south Wales resulted in a man being identified using the app in Cardiff who was wanted on a European arrest warrant for drug dealing and assaulting a police officer with a weapon in Poland dating back to 2012.
The 38-year-old man was remanded in custody to Westminster magistrates' court.
Inspector Ben Gwyer, who leads on facial recognition for South Wales and Gwent forces, said: 'These examples have allowed officers to quickly identify individuals who have refused to give details or given false details before taking appropriate action depending on the circumstances.
'These have included individuals who were found in suspicious circumstances and identified through the use of the app having given false details.'
In cases where someone is wanted by police for a criminal offence, it secures their quick arrest and detention. Cases of mistaken identity are easily resolved and without the necessity to visit a police station or custody suite.
A South Wales Police facial recognition unit operating in Cardiff
(Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne )
South Wales Police says that photographs taken using the app are never retained and officers receive specific guidance in relation to using the app in private places such as houses, schools, medical facilities and places of worship in order to balance the needs of policing against the right to privacy of the individual.
Inspector Gwyer added: 'Police officers have always been able to spot someone who they think is missing or wanted and stop them in the street.
'This technology doesn't replace traditional means of identifying people and officers only use it in instances where it is both necessary and proportionate to do so, with the aim of keeping that particular individual, or the wider public, safe.'
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