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Body Worn Video and Facial Recognition (1017A/21)

Request

1) Please confirm whether your force in the last 12 months has evaluated and/or trialled, or is in the process of evaluating and or/trialling, body worn video cameras with facial recognition technology. (To be clear, this means body cameras that have an additional capablity of being able to scan faces and notify police when a particular individual is recognised; it excludes current generation body cameras that are used solely to record interactions.)

2) Where such evaluation and/or trial has taken place or is taking place, please provide details of which system or systems is being looked at by your force.

3) Where such evaluation and/or trial has taken place, please provide a copy of the resulting evaluation report or assessment.

Response

I am writing to inform you that we have searched our records and the information you requested is not held by West Midlands Police. We have not evaluated and/or trialed the overt use of body worn video cameras in concert with facial recognition technology.

In addition, the force can neither confirm nor deny that it holds any other information in relation to the use of facial recognition technology in a covert capacity as the duty in Section 1(1)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 does not apply by virtue of the following exemptions:

Section 24(2) – National security

Section 31(3) – Law enforcement

These exemptions and explanatory notes are shown here:

https://www.app.college.police.uk/app-content/information-management/freedom-of-information/#freedom-of-information-exemptions

In line with the above, I am required to complete a Public Interest Test (PIT) on disclosure for Section 24 and Section 31, please find this PIT attached.

Attachments

1017A_PIT