Facial recognition evidence

Freedom of Information (FOI) Act request ref: 01/FOI/25/009209/S

Version Date: 29/12/2025

The Alliance ICT Department, the Criminal Justice Department and the Intelligence Department have provided the following information:

Please detail the number of cases in which facial recognition evidence was used as part of the investigation or as evidence in legal proceedings, the number of arrests, charges or convictions resulting from the use of facial recognition evidence each year for the past three years, from January to December (including this year).
 
I would also like to know if you use AI-based risk assessment systems to predict re-offences.
 
E.g.
 
January 2025 - December 2025
•      100 cases where facial recognition was used as part of the investigation
•      20 arrests off the back of facial recognition evidence
•      We do use AI-based risk assessment systems

We do not use live facial recognition in the Force to support live operational use.

There are zero cases where facial recognition was used as part of an investigation.

No arrests resulted off the back of live facial recognition.

We are not using AI technology in risk-based assessments.

We have trial software fitted to a CCTV van but this is NOT being use for live operational use; it is only being used in a “show and tell” community engagement capacity.

All forces use retrospective facial recognition as it is a function built into the Police National Database (PND).