Face value for police as new tech is rolled out

First appearance on city streets for controversial facial recognition kit

- By MORGAN KING

LAST week saw the first use of Live Facial Recognition (LFR) by Merseyside Police, in a show of force on Liverpool's Church Street.

The move came despite recent calls for caution from the Information Commissioner's Office, as well as from human rights groups, following reports claiming the technology shows a racial, gender and age bias.

The ECHO saw at least three vehicles and around 20 officers positioned along the length and breadth of Church Street, two of the vehicles equipped with live cameras. These cameras are part of the LFR technology, which automatically compares the faces of passersby to a watchlist of faces belonging to people of interest to the police.

A police statement explained the camera-equipped vans used were issued to Greater Manchester Police by the Home Office, and are to be used by other forces "for mutual aid".