Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary has begun deploying live facial recognition (LFR) technology on local high streets to identify suspects, individuals in breach of court orders, and missing people.
The force said the technology is being used as part of its wider prevention and enforcement strategy, with images of members of the public automatically deleted within 60 seconds if they do not match persons on a pre‑defined watchlist.
The move comes amid ongoing national debate about the proportionality and lawfulness of LFR, with civil liberties groups continuing to raise concerns about privacy, data retention and the potential for discriminatory outcomes.
Superintendent Alex Charge of Hampshire Police said the force was taking a transparent approach to deployment.
“We’re here for a legitimate means to catch criminals. Ultimately, this is a well‑marked van — it’s not a sneaky, covert bit of kit,” he said.
LFR systems analyse biometric measurements such as the distance between the eyes and the shape of the jawline. The technology has been used by some UK police forces for nearly a decade, following a series of legal challenges and updated guidance from the College of Policing and the Information Commissioner’s Office.
Supt Charge said the force intends to use the tool in areas experiencing persistent disorder.
“It’s something to prevent and detect crime but also to deter criminality,” he added. “I’d be keen that we used it in places where we’ve had problems with anti‑social behaviour and shoplifting.”
