Police are bringing Live Facial Recognition technology to Portsmouth as part of efforts to target suspects and protect vulnerable people.
The vans are due to be in the city on Wednesday, May 27, with officers saying they will be used to identify people wanted for high-risk and priority offences, as well as helping to locate high-risk missing people.
Live Facial Recognition works by scanning faces from a live camera feed and comparing them with a specific police watchlist. If the system suggests a possible match, an alert is generated, but police say a trained officer must then review it before any action is taken.
The technology has been developed through trials across UK policing over several years. South Wales Police was one of the earliest forces to use it, after Home Office funding in 2017, with NEC later confirming it had supplied facial recognition technology for use around the Champions League final in Cardiff.
Since then, the government has backed a wider rollout, announcing ten new Live Facial Recognition vans for seven police forces in 2025, with deployments intended to focus on intelligence-led searches for high-harm offenders.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary has already used the technology locally. Its published deployment register shows a previous Portsmouth deployment on January 26, 2026, during which 17,067 faces were seen and one true alert was recorded.
Other forces have reported stronger results. The Metropolitan Police said more than 100 wanted people were arrested in the first three months of a Croydon pilot.
However, the technology remains controversial, with privacy campaigners warning about civil liberties and mass scanning in public places. Police and the Home Office say deployments must follow strict rules and national guidance.
Get the latest BREAKING NEWS for the SOUTH on your phone by downloading the V2 RADIO APP today!
V2VOUCHERS.CO.UK is offering half-price deals on a wide range of experiences across the South, from meals out at local restaurants to tickets for some of the region’s biggest events.
Safer Arun Partnership awards £15,000 to local groups to boost community safety
Sails of the South refurbishment complete
ID appeal following robbery in Horsham
Major improvements for Chichester City Centre
Search continues in Hampshire for missing man
Southampton FC have been expelled from the Sky Bet Championship play-offs
Reports of people using catapult in Henfield
Plans for over 4,000 new homes in Mid Sussex
First ‘millennial mayor’ elected in Eastleigh
Future of Southwick Beach protected through transfer to Shoreham Port
On Air