Live facial recognition to return to three Suffolk towns

Suffolk Constabulary will deploy the technology in three town centres over consecutive days in November, starting with Lowestoft on Tuesday, November 3, followed by Bury St Edmunds on Wednesday, November 4, and Ipswich on Thursday, November 5.

The system captures live camera feeds and compares faces against a watchlist of individuals of interest.

Live facial recognition is being rolled out in Suffolk (Image: Suffolk Police)

Images of anyone not on the list are deleted immediately.

Sergeant Anthony Welford of the County Partnership Prevention Hub said: "If you pass through an area where LFR is in operation and you are not a person we are seeking to locate, your image is automatically and immediately deleted.

"Live Facial Recognition is an effective tool that helps us locate wanted individuals, safeguard vulnerable people and enhance public safety.

The operation will be taking place over three days (Image: Suffolk Police)

"We are very grateful to Bedfordshire police for agreeing to allow us to use their equipment."

The force is borrowing a van and equipment from Bedfordshire Police for the three-day operation.

Sergeant Welford said the technology not only supports officers on the ground but also offers a chance to engage with the public about how it works.

He said: "During previous operations, many people took the opportunity to speak with officers and learn more about how the technology works.

"We welcome those conversations and encourage anyone who has questions to come and speak to us.

"Raising awareness and understanding of how technology supports policing is an important part of these deployments."

The live facial recognition will be taking place in early November (Image: Suffolk Police)

Tim Passmore, police and crime commissioner for Suffolk, said: "I am pleased to see there are plans for live facial recognition technology to be used in locations across Suffolk.

"It has huge potential to bring criminals to justice and prevent crime."