Dorset has launched a live facial recognition system for the first time to identify wanted persons and sex offenders in the area.
The system was launched on Wednesday, August 26 and scans faces in its “zone of recognition”, comparing any match with a photo on its watchlist.
An officer in the van alerts patrol officers in the zone, who approach anyone the system identifies.
During Tuesday’s operation, the watchlist included wanted people, named crime suspects, people subject to court orders such as sexual harm prevention orders and missing people.
When the Echo joined officers near the beach, the LFR system spotted a known sex offender approaching the pier.
Officers quickly stopped the man, who was out on licence but had not breached any conditions.
No further action was taken.
The pier is one of six designated hotspots across Dorset, alongside Bournemouth Square and Boscombe High Street.
One resident said she hoped the system would “find naughty people” and said she was not concerned about its wider use.
Another resident said they hoped the system would “justify the cost”.
Jamie Halford, detective chief inspector in the Intelligence Department, said about 5,000 people are on the county’s watchlist and the system is “very, very accurate”.
“There’s been lots of testing done with this technology over a number of years,” he said.
“We’re talking in the probably point percentages of false matches.”
He added: “There’s that human element when we go and engage with that person to find out who they are.”
Dorset police and crime commissioner David Sidwick said: “You can’t put it on every street all the time.
“That would be a police state – that’s not something I would ever agree with – but to actually find those individuals on that watchlist in high areas of traffic.
“If it finds one or two seriously violent offenders, then it’s done its job.”
The system can also help find missing people.
A PCC consultation earlier this year found that 74 per cent of respondents supported the use of the technology, while 23 per cent opposed it.
Live facial recognition is used in hotspots across the country, particularly at football matches.
Mr Sidwick said using LFR outside Cherries matches would be an operational decision.
The force said LFR vans would be clearly marked and their locations publicised in advance on Dorset Police’s website and social media channels.
Images of people who are not on the watchlist are deleted immediately and permanently, Dorset Police said.
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