Live Facial Recognition Technology to be Deployed in Bedford Town Centre

Bedfordshire Police has confirmed it will roll out Live Facial Recognition (LFR) technology in Bedford Town Centre on Friday 19 September.

The technology, already used by the Metropolitan Police and South Wales Police, is designed to help officers locate and apprehend high-harm offenders who have evaded justice. Bedfordshire is one of seven forces selected in a national expansion announced by the Home Office last month.

Superintendent Ian Taylor, the force’s LFR Strategic Lead, said:

“We know the community still have a lot of questions about the use of advanced technology within policing and officers will be on hand to engage with the community and answer any queries they may have. LFR gives us an unmatched advantage to identify and detain wanted individuals, ensuring criminals are brought to justice swiftly and the communities of Bedfordshire are protected from crime and harm.”

The system works by comparing live camera footage with biometric templates from a pre-approved watchlist. These lists may include people wanted by the police or courts, or those subject to bail conditions or court orders. Officers are notified of possible matches and make further checks before taking any action.

Bedfordshire Police says the technology could also be used to help locate vulnerable individuals, such as high-risk missing people or victims of crime.

The Police and Crime Commissioner, John Tizard, has agreed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Chief Constable to set out the ethical and legal framework for using LFR, including oversight from an independent Ethics Panel. He said:

“I am pleased that Bedfordshire Police has taken delivery of two specialist Live Facial Recognition vans as part of a Home Office rollout… I will be introducing an ethics panel for the wider use of AI in policing.”

LFR was first tested in Bedfordshire during last year’s Bedford River Festival. Over two days, cameras scanned more than 415,000 faces, leading to seven identifications from a watchlist of 550 people, with no false alerts recorded.

Bedford Borough Mayor Tom Wootton welcomed the move, saying:

“I know this technology was a huge success when it was trialled at the River Festival… anything that brings extra resourcing to the police in Bedford Town Centre helps keep our town safe and welcoming.”