Live facial recognition cameras will goal knife crime hotspots beneath new plans to slash charges by a 3rd
Live facial recognition cameras are to be introduced across the UK in knife crime hotspots under new plans to slash offences by a third.
New national mapping technology is being shared with police which is capable of identifying the worst knife crime hotspots down to 100 square metres, even identifying the specific times it is most likely to occur.
Forces will be able to switch on cameras to catch out offenders on specific streets associated with knife crime.
Under a plan to slash rates by a third in two years, police will also be able to use visible police patrols, CCTV cameras and knife detection arches in an unprecedented crackdown.
On Tuesday, ministers announced a £26million Knife Crime Concentrations Fund will be allocated to the 27 police forces in England and Wales that deal with 90 per cent of knife crime.
The move comes after live facial recognition camera trials have shown impressive results, with police in the first UK town to get a static camera catching criminals every 34 minutes, spotting suspects on the run for 20 years in some cases.
In October, Scotland Yard installed fixed cameras on lamp posts at the entrance and exit to Croydon town centre during a trial which resulted in over 100 arrests for offences including possession of knives, strangulation and sexual assault.
The cameras work by taking digital images of passing pedestrians, feeding them into a computer using biometric software to measure facial features.
Live facial recognition cameras are to be introduced across the UK in knife crime hotspots under new plans to slash offences by a third (a camera is pictured on top of a Live Facial Recognition van)
Police are developing a ‘problem solving plan’ with the Home Office to deliver at least a 33 per cent reduction in knife crime over a two-year period
The image is compared with a watchlist and if a match is detected, an alert is sent to officers to review and consider making an arrest.
If a member of the public is not wanted by police, their biometrics are immediately deleted.
Policing minister Sarah Jones said: ‘Knife crime devastates lives and families across the country, and the majority of it takes place on just a small number of streets across the country.
‘We will deploy state-of-the-art mapping to identify these hot spots and target them with police patrols, live facial recognition and knife arches to catch these criminals.
‘This Government will halve knife crime within a decade, saving lives and protecting communities.’
Known as ‘hyperlocal’ areas, police will develop a ‘problem solving plan’ with the Home Office to deliver at least a 33 per cent reduction in knife crime over a two-year period.
The Government is currently considering the results of a national consultation about the use of facial recognition.
But some campaigners have raised concerns about state surveillance with groups like Big Brother Watch saying: ‘Live facial recognition turns every passer-by into a walking barcode and treats us all as a nation of suspects.’
Patrick Green, CEO of the Ben Kinsella Trust and member of the Government’s Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime said: ‘This targeted, data-driven approach represents a crucial part of the Government’s response to tackling knife crime and protecting young people from its devastating impact.
‘Knife crime creates a profound and often location-based fear among young people, shaping how they move, socialise and experience their own neighbourhoods.
‘Tackling these issues at source is vital, and that is why the Hex mapping approach is so important; it will pinpoint the exact areas where fear and harm are most concentrated. By coordinating action with partners on the ground, it can focus efforts where they are needed most, reducing knife crime, restoring confidence and improving public safety.’
