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The British Transport Police (BTP) has officially launched a trial of Live Facial Recognition (LFR) technology.
Starting today (Wednesday, 11 February), the operation began at London Bridge railway station as part of a scheduled six-month pilot program.
The initiative is designed to test how the technology performs within a busy railway environment. Cameras positioned at the station will scan the faces of passengers and compare them against a specific watchlist of individuals wanted for serious criminal offences.
If the system identifies a potential match, it generates an alert for a human officer to review.
Chief Superintendent Chris Casey, the senior officer overseeing the project, emphasized the safety goals of the trial. “I want to reiterate that this is a trial of the technology to assess how it performs in a railway setting,” he said.
“The initiative follows a significant amount of research and planning, and forms part of BTP’s commitment to using innovative technology to make the railways a hostile place for individuals wanted for serious criminal offences, helping us keep the public safe.”
Addressing privacy concerns, the force confirmed that images of anyone not on the authorized database are deleted immediately and permanently. Furthermore, passengers who do not wish to participate in the scan have been informed that alternative routes are available to bypass the recognition zone.
The project team has collaborated with several industry partners, including Network Rail and the Department for Transport, to prepare for the rollout.
The BTP has committed to transparency throughout the pilot, promising to publish the dates and locations of all future LFR operations online before they take place. “The cameras work by scanning faces and comparing them to a watchlist of offenders wanted for serious offences,” Casey added.
“If there’s a match, then the system generates an alert. An officer will review it and carry out further checks to determine if the person is a suspect and if they need to take further action.”
Members of the public are being encouraged to provide feedback on the technology via QR codes displayed on posters at the station.
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