British Transport Police Begins Trial of Live Facial Recognition Technology

British Transport Police (BTP) will launch their trial of Live Facial Recognition (LFR) technology today. 

Dates and locations of all BTP LFR operations will be published online before they occur. 

Chief Superintendent Chris Casey, BTP’s senior officer overseeing the project, said: “The project team have spent a significant amount of time working closely with partners including Network Rail, the Department for Transport and the Rail Delivery Group to get us to this stage. 

“I want to reiterate that this is a trial of the technology to assess how it performs in a railway setting. The initiative follows a significant amount of research and planning, and forms part of BTP’s commitment to using innovative technology to make the railways a hostile place for individuals wanted for serious criminal offences, helping us keep the public safe. 

“The cameras work by scanning faces and comparing them to a watchlist of offenders wanted for serious offences. If there’s a match, then the system generates an alert. An officer will review it and carry out further checks to determine if the person is a suspect and if they need to take further action. 

“People who prefer not to enter the recognition zone will have alternative routes available and images of anyone not on the authorised database will be deleted immediately and permanently.   

“We want to make the trial as effective as it can be and we welcome your feedback. You can scan the QR codes on the posters and tell us your thoughts.” 

Further information is available on our website.