Police Utilize Facial Recognition to Identify Riot Suspects

Law enforcement utilized facial recognition technology to assist in identifying individuals suspected of involvement in the summer riots. Northumbria Police confirmed its application of this software contributed to multiple arrests made in Sunderland, connected to the city’s disturbances on August 2. The BBC has verified that police forces in Cleveland and Durham did not deploy this technology for the purpose of identifying alleged rioters. The privacy advocacy organization Big Brother Watch characterized the technology as “dangerously unregulated” and deemed its deployment by law enforcement as “concerning from a privacy perspective.” Northumbria Police stated that it employed the “latest” facial recognition software to analyze over 10,000 hours of CCTV footage pertinent to the Sunderland riot. Detective Chief Inspector Graeme Barr commented: “These offenders may think that because they wore masks or concealed their faces that we can’t trace them, but they would be mistaken.” Durham Police indicated that while it does not possess its own facial recognition technology, it does have access to the Home Office Police National Database. The force clarified that it did not utilize this national database to identify suspected rioters, citing that it only needed to identify a “small amount” of suspects within its operational area. Cleveland Police was contacted for a statement. Big Brother Watch acknowledged the importance of bringing those who violated the law during the riots to justice. However, the group also asserted that there were “real questions” requiring answers regarding the application of facial recognition technology. A spokesperson for the organization stated: “Regulation of these practices is badly needed in order to protect our right to privacy.” Northumbria Police described the violent disorder in Sunderland as “utterly shocking” and “completely unacceptable.” A spokesperson for the force remarked: “We would hope the overwhelming majority of people would want and expect us to use every tactic at our disposal to help identify potential suspects.” The disturbances, which erupted across various parts of England, occurred in the wake of the fatal stabbings of three girls in Southport, Merseyside, on July 29. The unrest was exacerbated by false information circulating on social media claiming the suspect was an illegal migrant. Information regarding BBC North East is available on X, Facebook, Nextdoor, and Instagram. Story ideas can be submitted to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk. This content is copyrighted by BBC 2024. All rights are reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content found on external websites and provides information regarding its policy on external linking.