Face recognition technology to monitor Champions final fans
POLICE will use facial recognition technology to monitor the 170,000 football fans expected to descend on Cardiff for the Champions League final.
The Welsh capital is gearing up to host the biggest crowd it has ever welcomed for the June 3 match when Real Madrid will take on Juventus at the Principality Stadium – now renamed the National Stadium of Wales for the duration of the final.
South Wales Police plans to pilot the technology to monitor people on pre-determined “watch lists”, which may include wanted or missing persons. Cameras will be placed at strategic locations around the city allowing officers to monitor people in real time, extracting faces and matching them against a watch list of people.
Assistant Chief Constable Richard Lewis said: “The world we live in is changing and with that comes a need to change the way we police. We are investing in ensuring our officers have the tools and technology needed to most effectively protect our communities. As technology evolves into the future, so too will the way our police force operates.
“This facial recognition technology will enable us to search, scan and monitor images and video of suspects against offender databases, leading to the faster and more accurate identification of persons of interest.”
South Wales Police will be the first force in the UK to use the technology in the field at a large sporting event and it will be used not only on June 3, but throughout the other festivities taking place ahead of and after the main match.
Cardiff is hosting the Uefa Champions Festival from June 1 to 4 in Cardiff Bay and will have two hospitality villages in Bute Park and at Cardiff Castle.
The Uefa Champions League women’s final will be held on Thursday, June 1 at the Cardiff City Stadium when holders Lyon will take on Paris Saint-Germain.
Mr Lewis said South Wales Police was building “checks and balances” into its use of facial recognition.
It had held discussions with regulatory partners, including the local Information Commissioner’s Office, “to ensure that the deployment of this technology is proportionate whilst recognising the need to balance security and privacy”.
South Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Alun Michael said it was essential that policing evolved and embraced technology “to maintain and support safe, confident communities”.
He said: “Our approach to policing is very much centred upon early intervention and prompt, positive action; the introduction of facial recognition helps to support these aims by allowing us to identify vulnerability, challenge perpetrators and reduce instances of offending within environments where the technology is deployed.
“The introduction of a system such as this will invariably raise certain questions around privacy and whilst I appreciate these concerns I am reassured by the protocols and processes that have been established by the chief constable and operational colleagues to ensure the integrity and legitimacy of its use.”