Police in Stockport have arrested two men for alleged breaches of Sexual Harm Prevention Orders (SHPOs) using live facial recognition (LFR) cameras deployed in the town centre. The arrests came during a four-hour operation that scanned thousands of faces, with four alerts triggered.
Operation details
Greater Manchester Police said images of faces that do not trigger an alert are "automatically deleted within seconds". The force explained: "Alerts are triggered for a pre-registered reason – such as when people are wanted, missing, or subject to an order. The four alerts yesterday were all for people with Sexual Harm Prevention Orders in place – with two men – aged 38 and 41– subsequently being arrested on suspicion of breaching the conditions of their respective orders."
The operation was part of wider work to tackle "reported issues" in the area. In addition, specific operations, such as Operation Rimini, which aims to mitigate antisocial behaviour, have resulted in dozens of arrests and "countless" charges over the last year, police said.
Police response
Inspector Jason Holmwood, from the Stockport district, said: "Our Live Facial Recognition deployment in Stockport on 12 August delivered positive results, with two arrests made and a significant amount of constructive engagement with members of the public."
He added: "The technology is a valuable tool that helps us locate wanted individuals and protect our communities, while officers remain on hand to explain how it works and answer any questions people may have."
Holmwood also noted the positive response from residents, businesses and visitors, saying these conversations are "an important part of ensuring transparency and building public confidence". He said LFR supports neighbourhood policing by helping target those who pose the greatest risk, while allowing officers to focus on keeping people safe and preventing crime.
A list of future live facial recognition deployments has been made available.
