⚡️ **Heads Up, Wales!** ⚡️
South Wales Police has shelled out over £3.5 million on facial recognition technology since 2017, leading to 93 arrests. Despite the controversy, the force is pressing on, championing the tech as a tool for catching dangerous criminals during major events like international rugby matches and big concerts in Cardiff.
Since its debut at the 2017 Champions League Final in Cardiff, the system has been fired up over 150 times. Notably, after a pause in 2021 due to COVID-19, the force reports that no recent alerts resulted in wrong interventions—unlike the early days when incorrect alerts were a frequent hiccup.
Breaking down the spend:
– 2017 saw the biggest chunk, with over £1.1 million
– Costs tapered to £188,191 by 2024
The Police and Crime Commissioner is backing the initiative, saying it’s vital to employ cutting-edge technology, provided it’s under tight scrutiny, boosting public trust and transparency. Concerns about privacy and data protection laws arose a few years back, leading to legal challenges—but since then, improvements have been made following court feedback. A 2023 Home Office fact sheet backed the tech’s accuracy, dismissing any performance bias based on gender or ethnicity.
While some remain sceptical, the police are set on using this evolving tech to help make south Wales safer. What are your thoughts on this tech? Let us know in the comments! 🗣️👇