Surrey Police have put new Live Facial Recognition (LFR) vans on the streets to help track down violent and sexual offenders in real time. The first deployment took place today in Redhill, following a successful joint bid with Sussex Police to the Home Office.

The vans use live camera feeds to check faces against a pre-set watchlist. Anyone not on the list is immediately deleted from the system, while watchlist images are removed within 24 hours of each deployment, helping to protect privacy.

Chief Inspector Andy Hill, lead for Live Facial Recognition in Surrey Police, said: “This technology is an important tool to help us investigate crime thoroughly and catch offenders. We’ve planned this rollout carefully to make sure it’s used appropriately, proportionately, and transparently.”

While there have been concerns about bias in facial recognition technology, police say the national algorithm used has been extensively tested and shows no statistical bias. Officers are briefed before every deployment, and any potential match is checked by an officer before any action is taken.

Deployments are authorised only by Superintendents and focus on locations identified through crime data and hotspots. The vans are clearly signposted, and deployment locations are published on the Surrey Police website in advance.

Police and Crime Commissioner Lisa Townsend said: “I want to make sure our communities are as safe as possible for Surrey residents which is why our police officers must have every tool at their disposal to track down criminals operating in our midst.

“These vans will be used proportionately and it is important to stress that law-abiding members of the Surrey public going about their daily business have nothing to fear by their use. These vans will help officers identify dangerous offenders and take them off the streets.”

Funded by the Home Office for five years, the vans will also be available to support other forces for mutual aid.