00:00Merseyside Police is using live facial recognition technology saying it will help locate wanted offenders and people at risk of
00:07harm.
00:07The system compares images captured by cameras with a watch list of individuals.
00:12It does not search for everyone passing through the area.
00:15The watch list can include people wanted by police or the courts, people subject to court orders and those considered
00:21a risk to themselves or others.
00:24During an operation, cameras capture faces in an area and send images to the system.
00:28If it detects a possible match, an alert is generated that is not by itself a decision to stop or
00:34speak to someone.
00:35A trained officer must compare the camera image with the person in front of them and decide where the contact
00:40is appropriate.
00:41The force says officers will explain why they've approached someone and provide a leaflet.
00:45It says people who are not on the watch list have their biometric data automatically deleted rather than stored.
00:52Watch list images and alerts are deleted within 24 hours after each deployment day.
00:56CCTV footage is kept for up to 31 days.
01:00Merseyside Police says its use of the technology complies with the Data Protection Act, UK GDPR and the Human Rights
01:07Act.
01:08The force says the algorithm has been independently tested by the National Physical Laboratory,
01:13which found no bias for ethnicity, age or gender at the settings used.
01:17However, face coverings can reduce accuracy.
01:20The force says every alert is checked by an operator before officers take action.
01:25Deployment information is published on the force website and signage is displayed at sites.
