Dates announced for of live facial recognition technology use in Bedford
Dates have been announced for planned deployments of live facial recognition (LFR) technology in Bedford town centre over the next month.
Police say the technology helps to “identify and apprehend individuals who pose a risk to the community”, using a live camera feed which works in tandem with a predetermined watchlist of offenders.
Bedfordshire Police say the technology will be deployed in Bedford on Thursday July 30, Saturday August 8, Saturday August 15, Thursday August 20 and Wednesday August 26.
During its previous deployment in Bedford, between 10am and 4pm on July 23, the technology saw 14,771 faces. There was one alert – which was confirmed as positive and led to police action.
The LFR technology was also used during this year’s Bedford River Festival..
Bedfordshire Police said in a statement: “We understand that LFR is a concern for some people, especially regarding privacy.
“This means we follow the national guidance from the LFR Taskforce and advise of any deployments at least five days in advance.
“This may seem counter-intuitive, but the deployments and arrests so far show it is highly effective and helping in the fight to combat criminality.”
The technology has been used across Bedford for two years, with its first deployment during the 2024 Bedford River Festival.
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