FOI 141620
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NO: 141620
I write in connection with your request for information which was received on 22nd December 2021. Please find below the response to your request:
This request relates to the use of Retrospective Facial Recognition (‘RFR’) by your police force. By RFR, we mean a two-step use of facial recognition technology. The first step is the collection, not necessarily for the purpose of facial recognition, of images and/or dynamic video which include the faces of unknown subjects. The second step is the use of facial recognition technology to compare those images or video clips against any form of database, watchlist or other record, in order to identify (or assist with the identification of) those unknown subjects. When using live facial recognition, the two steps happen near-simultaneously. RFR is characterised by a time-lag between the two steps. For the avoidance of doubt, by a ‘time-lag’ we mean any amount of time, no matter how short, which results in the technology not being characterised as live facial recognition technology.
Please answer the following question:
- Is your police force is currently trialling and/or using any form of RFR technology, and does it have plans to do so in the future?
If the answer to question 1 is yes, please provide the information requested below in respect of each use of RFR technology that is or will be trialled and/or used.
- The name and purpose of that use of RFR technology.
- The date on which that RFR technology was first used/trialled and:
- in respect of any trial, how long the trial period lasted or will last, the criteria against which any trial is being assessed, together with any analysis of the results of such a trial;
- any decision to permanently roll out that use of RFR technology; and
- how many times that RFR technology has been used since the conclusion of any trial.
- A description of the scope and operation of that RFR technology in use, and in particular:
- the nature and source(s) of the images and/or video feeds of unknown subjects fed into the RFR technology, and whether there is any limit on the nature or source of those images and/or video feeds;
- the nature and source(s) of the database(s)/watchlist(s)/other record(s) used by the RFR technology to identify (or assist with the identification of) the unknown subjects, and whether there is any limit on the nature or source of those database(s)/watchlist(s)/other record(s);
- the number of images and/or the number of minutes of video feed that have been fed through the RFR technology during any trial and/or its use;
- whether any biometric or personal data are retained, and if so for how long, relating to the subjects who are: (i) identified by the RFR technology as having been matched; and (ii) not identified by the RFR technology as having been matched; and
- if biometric and personal data are deleted after the RFR technology has processed them, please confirm that they are deleted immediately and permanently. If this is not the case, please describe how, why, where and for how long they are retained.
- Any guidance/policies/standard operating procedures relating to your police force’s use/trial of the RFR technology. Please confirm whether each document provided has been published.
- Any Privacy Impact Assessment, Data Protection Impact Assessment, Equality Impact Assessment or any other impact assessment conducted in relation to this RFR technology, together with the dates on which each such assessment was conducted. If no such assessments were conducted, please confirm this.
- Any documents or information detailing how your police force considers that it is complying with s149 Equality Act 2010 in relation to the trial/use of this RFR technology, in particular how your police force has investigated whether it has the potential for bias against people with protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010.
Reply:-
- Is your police force is currently trialling and/or using any form of RFR technology, and does it have plans to do so in the future?
Yes.
If the answer to question 1 is yes, please provide the information requested below in respect of each use of RFR technology that is or will be trialled and/or used.
- The name and purpose of that use of RFR technology.
Within West Mercia we have the capability to complete Facial Recognition searches within the Police National Database (PND). The PND is a national information management system that allows Forces to share Intelligence and other operational information with other Forces across England, Wales, Scotland and the British Transport Police. The RFR technology within the system is used where images such as CCTV or photographs obtained during investigations or enquiries can be compared against all locally sourced force custody images which have been uploaded to PND, on a national scale. The use of facial search results via PND should only be used for intelligence purposes only.
There are is no other facial recognition software used within Force that can search a Police database against images.
- The date on which that RFR technology was first used/trialled and:
The Police National Database was launched in June 2011
- in respect of any trial, how long the trial period lasted or will last, the criteria against which any trial is being assessed, together with any analysis of the results of such a trial;
The system was rolled out and West Mercia Police were not part of a trial in relation to this
- any decision to permanently roll out that use of RFR technology; and
The system is already rolled out within Force
- how many times that RFR technology has been used since the conclusion of any trial.
Statistics in relation to PND are provided to Forces by the Home Office rather than being able to be identified by each Force themselves. The latest figures provided show that 101 facial searches were completed on the system between November 2020 and October 2021.
- A description of the scope and operation of that RFR technology in use, and in particular:
- the nature and source(s) of the images and/or video feeds of unknown subjects fed into the RFR technology, and whether there is any limit on the nature or source of those images and/or video feeds;
Images held within the system are taken when being processed in Custody, for which each Force is responsible for uploading onto the PND database. Images that can be used for searching the database, as long as they meet minimum requirements for using to search the system could be obtained from examples such as CCTV, BWV stills or camera images.
- the nature and source(s) of the database(s)/watchlist(s)/other record(s) used by the RFR technology to identify (or assist with the identification of) the unknown subjects, and whether there is any limit on the nature or source of those database(s)/watchlist(s)/other record(s);
Images are taken during the Custody process and as such are associated to the individual being processed through Custody. Images that can be used for searching the database, as long as they meet minimum requirements for using to search the system could be obtained from examples such as CCTV, Body Worn Video or camera images.
- the number of images and/or the number of minutes of video feed that have been fed through the RFR technology during any trial and/or its use;
No information held - this would be held by the Home Office rather than West Mercia Police
- whether any biometric or personal data are retained, and if so for how long, relating to the subjects who are: (i) identified by the RFR technology as having been matched; and (ii) not identified by the RFR technology as having been matched; and
No information held – this would be held by the Home Office rather than West Mercia Police
- if biometric and personal data are deleted after the RFR technology has processed them, please confirm that they are deleted immediately and permanently. If this is not the case, please describe how, why, where and for how long they are retained.
No information held - this would be held by the Home Office rather than West Mercia Police
- Any guidance/policies/standard operating procedures relating to your police force’s use/trial of the RFR technology. Please confirm whether each document provided has been published.
No information held - This is a National system and as such any such documentation would be managed at a National level rather than West Mercia Police
- Any Privacy Impact Assessment, Data Protection Impact Assessment, Equality Impact Assessment or any other impact assessment conducted in relation to this RFR technology, together with the dates on which each such assessment was conducted. If no such assessments were conducted, please confirm this.
No information held - This is a National system and as such any such documentation would be managed at a National level rather than West Mercia Police
- Any documents or information detailing how your police force considers that it is complying with s149 Equality Act 2010 in relation to the trial/use of this RFR technology, in particular how your police force has investigated whether it has the potential for bias against people with protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010.
No information held - This is a National system and as such any such documentation would be managed at a National level rather than West Mercia Police