Facial Recognition Technology
What is facial recognition technology?
Facial recognition is a technology capable of comparing a human face from a digital image against a database of faces.
We use facial recognition technology to prevent and detect crime and help protect vulnerable people.
Whenever we use facial recognition technology, we recognise there is an ongoing need to balance privacy and protection concerns, in addition to considering its legal and ethical implications.
How does facial recognition technology work?
It analyses key facial features and generates a mathematical representation of these features. It then compares them against the mathematical representation of known faces in a database, generating possible matches.
At Gwent Police we use this in two ways:
- Retrospective facial recognition (RFR) compares still images of faces of unknown subjects against a reference image database in order to identify them after an event.
- Operator initiated facial recognition (OIFR) is a mobile phone use of the technology, which compares a photograph of a person’s face taken on a mobile phone to the predetermined watchlist to assist an officer to identify a subject.
Images are typically supplied from CCTV, mobile phone footage or social media. These images are then compared against our custody images.
The reference database that we use are custody images from South Wales and Gwent Police. These contain in excess of 600,000 images.
After a search is made, the technology reorders the reference image database from the most likely to the least likely possible match.
An operator will typically review the top 200 possible matches to decide whether a match has been made. If the operator determines a match has been made, they will inform the investigating officer. The investigating officer will review the match and add the person to the investigation as a suspect.
What is the operator initiated facial recognition (OIFR)?
FRApp enables our officers to use the facial recognition technology on their mobile phones. It compares a photograph of a person’s face taken on a mobile phone with facial images contained in a predetermined watchlist(s) in order to assist an officer to identify a subject. These images will come from our custody images and those of South Wales Police, as well as our missing persons list.
We will always explain to the person when we use the OIFR app and let them know how they can contact us to ask further questions.
People who are not included on a watchlist cannot be identified. The image, captured on the mobile device, and biometric data are automatically and immediately deleted after a search is carried out.
When is the OIFR app used?
The OIFR app is used as an ‘on-street’ intelligence tool to help officers in identifying an unknown person, and when there are reasonable grounds for its use.
These may include someone unable to provide their details because they are, unconscious, have mental health or communication barriers, are incapable due to drink or drugs or are deceased. It may also be used if someone refuses to provide their details or is reasonably suspected of providing false details.
However, one of the following must also apply:
- The person is deceased
- Reported as a missing person
- Suspected that they have committed an offence, wanted by the courts, subject to bail conditions or a court order.
- Presenting a risk of harm to themselves or others
The OIFR app will not be used to replace traditional means of identification where officers will talk with someone to gather their name and any proof of identity. However, sometimes this is not possible and the app provides an alternative means of identifying the person.
FAQs for the Operator Initiated Facial Recognition app
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.
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.
No, 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.
No. There has been independent testing to confirm no identifiable bias on the grounds of race, gender or age in OIFR.
No, the OIFR system is not the decision maker. Officers receive specific training on utilising OIFR and should make reasonable enquiries based on the information presented to them, to determine if a match has been made. It will ultimately be the officer making the decision as to whether a result returned is a correct match.
The OIFR app does not alter the responsibilities of officers to conduct investigations impartially and without fear or favour.
OIFR does not replace the ability of an officer to engage with a member of the public, whether as a normal part of an investigation or as a line of questioning specific to determining facts of an incident or investigation.
OIFR does support officers in identifying persons where a policing purpose exists (see OIFR document suite for more information) but should only be undertaken where other reasonable opportunities to identify an individual have been exhausted.
Officers receive specialist training on using OIFR, privacy rights and expectations and impacts upon the human rights when using facial recognition.
The OIFR app has been designed to promote fair and responsible use by officers. Its purpose is to keep the public safe, identifying serious offenders and protecting the vulnerable.
The data capture of demographics, circumstances and outcomes promotes transparency, demonstrating effectiveness, proportionality and compliance with legislation and guidelines.
All biometric information and images captured are automatically deleted from the app, with no recovery option. The only data retained by the app relates to data capture to allow scrutiny of circumstances and justification for use by officers, demographic data to monitor for potential disproportionality of use, and outcomes to determine whether OIFR is delivering benefits to policing.
OIFR will only compare against images held in the Gwent Police and South Wales Police local record management system. This will include images from the custody image database and images from the missing person database.
The database only contains images of persons who have been photographed in our custody suites, in Gwent or South Wales, or persons who have been reported as missing and the risk has been deemed sufficient to justify obtaining an image for the purposes of locating and identifying that person.
Under certain circumstances you have the right to ask us to delete your personal data to prevent its continued processing where there is no justification for us to retain it. The circumstances most likely to apply are:
- where holding your personal data is no longer necessary in relation to the purpose for which we originally collected and processed it
- where you withdraw your consent to us holding your personal data if we are relying on your consent to hold it.
The right of erasure does not apply if we are processing your personal data:
- to comply with a legal obligation
- for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority
- for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims
- to exercise the right of freedom of expression and information
- for archiving purposes in the public interest, scientific research, historical research or statistical purposes where erasure is likely to make it impossible to carry out or seriously impair that processing.
If you want to ask us to delete your personal data, use the contact details in the relevant SWP or GWP privacy notice:
South Wales Police: Privacy Notice | South Wales Police
Gwent Police: Privacy Notice | Gwent Police
The decision to use OIFR should only be taken when other reasonable, less intrusive opportunities to identify an unknown person have been exhausted. For OIFR to be justified there must be a policing purpose (grounds) and the subject must be unwilling or unable to identify themselves to the officer (reasons). There is more information regarding this in the supporting document suite.
The police officer will take reasonable steps to explain the necessity for using the OIFR app and how the data will be used. The police do not require consent to use the OIFR app but will ask for the individual’s cooperation to make their face visible for a photograph to be taken.
If the individual refuses to allow the officer to obtain an image, the officer will revert to other available powers and tactics that can be used to deal with the situation before them. This could include, where necessity exists in line with PACE code G (statutory power) for police officers, to arrest the individual for the purposes of ascertaining a name and address.
Police officers must not use force for the purposes of obtaining an image for OIFR.
Circumstances may occur where an officer has attempted to use or used OIFR and subsequently uses force for the purpose of effecting an arrest. This should be justified by the officer and must not be for the purposes of obtaining a Probe Image for the purposes of OIFR.
Biometric data in the form of images and biometric templates are not retained by OIFR and are automatically deleted by the app with no option of recovery. For this reason, we never pass biometric data or images from OIFR to third party agencies.
The body worn video recordings of OIFR use will be retained for scrutiny and complaints in line with stop search and use of force policy. These recordings may be used in evidence for matters under investigation but will be managed in accordance with Data Protection Act 2018 and be disclosed in line with the Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996.
Yes. All the documents concerning the use of the OIFR app are in the process of being updated. They will be available shortly.