West Yorkshire Police is set to use Live Facial Recognition technology at Leeds Festival, deploying it for the first time this year around the outer edge of the site as part of a broader plan to keep the event safe, cut down on crime and create a secure atmosphere.
The force says the technology will also help officers spot wanted offenders and anyone who might pose a danger to other people, and that it will be rolled out in a targeted, proportionate way around the festival grounds, working alongside the event’s organisers.
LFR works by comparing live camera images against a watchlist of people either wanted by police or considered a risk to the public.
Any potential match gets checked over by specially trained officers first, before any action is ever taken.
Wider safety operation
Chief Inspector Dan Tillett, who leads on Live Facial Recognition at West Yorkshire Police, said: “Our priority is for everyone attending Leeds Festival to experience a safe and enjoyable event. Live Facial Recognition will form part of the wider safety operation at Bramham Park and will be used to help us prevent crime, safeguard the public and identify people who are wanted by police or who may present a risk to others.
“Whilst most people attending Leeds Festival are there to enjoy the event responsibly, we want to work in partnership to identify those who might seek to use the event as an opportunity to commit crime or cause harm. LFR provides us with an additional capability to identify those individuals quickly and effectively. Live Facial Recognition has already been used a number of times across West Yorkshire, including in Leeds, Bradford and Wakefield city centres, as well as at major events. We are committed to using the technology responsibly, lawfully and transparently as a targeted policing tool to help make Leeds Festival as safe as possible for everyone attending.”
