Safer Community - What is AFR? | AFR

AFR modernises what the police have been doing for centuries,
in a much more effective and efficient way.

The Benefits Of AFR
Balancing Privacy & Security
The Future
FAQ's

The Benefits Of AFR

By combining cutting edge technology and a skilled workforce we are now able to bring offenders to justice quicker than ever. The technology has an important role to play in helping us protect the most vulnerable in our communities.

Faster identification of offenders.

Quicker identification of offenders improves the quality of the investigation.

Frees up resources to allow us to understand and respond to the needs of the community.

Balancing Privacy & Security

South Wales Police were the first UK police force to make an arrest as a result of a live deployment of the technology.

South Wales Police are very much aware of the need for transparency when trialling any new technology to ensure that our communities understand and ultimately support its use.

To ensure the use of Facial Recognition technology is both proportionate and necessary, we have developed a robust internal governance structure to challenge use of the technology. South Wales Police is also party to a wider national governance which further scrutinises its use.

We are very much aware of just because technology allows us to do something this doesn’t mean that we automatically should use it without having the appropriate checks and balances in place.

Further community engagement is constantly being sought and we are continuing to understand how the technology may affect all aspects of our community.

"Just because a particular technology exists, it doesn't mean we will use it"

SCOTT LLOYD, POLICE INSPECTOR

ETHICS COMMITTEE MEETING

The use of facial recognition has been discussed at South Wales Police Independent Ethics Committee meetings.

5 COMMITTEE MEETINGS

Since January 2017 the use of Facial Recognition technology has been considered at five Independent Ethics Committee meetings.

The Future

We are currently working towards integrating Facial Recognition into iPatrol which is South Wales Police bespoke mobile crime and intelligence application accessible to all officers.

South Wales Police are currently working on delivering Facial Recognition to all its officers via a smart phone application.

The Automated Facial Recognition would allow officers to capture an image of a person that may encounter and compare this image against our custody and vulnerability database.

Use of the application will be governed by standard operating procedures and be subject to similar scrutiny as delivered across the other aspects of the technology.

“AFR lets us spend more time on keeping communities safe.”

RICHARD LEWIS, DEPUTY CHIEF CONSTABLE

We continue to learn from each Facial Recognition deployment

Lessons learnt are captured post deployment which assist and allow us to continue to refine and improve with each deployment...

Unconscious Bias

We are currently working towards how the technology and in particular the AFR mobile app can be used to protect the most vulnerable with particular focus on missing persons.

Protecting the most vulnerable

We are currently working towards how the technology can be used to help protect the most vulnerable persons in our community.

FAQ's

A statement from South Wales Police regarding the Judicial Review outcome can be found in the Blog section of the website. Alternatively an FAQ regarding AFR and the judicial review can be found here: Judicial Review Appeal FAQ

Typical deployments would obtain images from South Wales Police and Gwent shared custody database.

If the system does not make a match your image is not retained.

All AFR Locate deployments are overt and prior to each deployment we will use social media to advertise the deployment, during the deployment signage will be used. All AFR vehicles are clearly marked.

The image will be deleted immediately post deployment and in any case within 24 hours.

No, avoidance of the AFR cameras in isolation does not in itself constitute grounds for search or arrest.

A police officer may want to speak with you to confirm your identity.

The officer will explain why you have been spoken to and where possible invite you to see the technology. You will also be provided a Privacy Notice (see resource) which will provide further information.

Having reviewed 18 months of deployments there is no evidence to support this claim (see resource).

Watchlists for use with Live Facial Recognition (AFR Locate) must be specific to an operation or to a defined policing objective. Must be based on the intelligence case, reviewed before each Deployment to ensure that all images meet the necessity and proportionality criteria for inclusion, and the make-up of the Watchlist should not be excessive for the purpose of the LFR Deployment. Watchlists are primarily made up of individuals suspected of committing a criminal offence, wanted on warrant, unlawfully at large or there are bail conditions or court order or other restriction that would be breached if they were at the location at the time of the Deployment. They can also include missing persons who have been deemed increased risk or include individuals to prevent a risk of harm to themselves or others. This term will be informed by the intelligence case, using LFR to facilitate their location is necessary to manage the risk of harm identified