WA police launch real-time AI camera surveillance to catch criminals
WA Police will become the first force in the country to use real-time AI-generated facial recognition in public spaces.
The state government on Friday launched the Overt Live Facial Recognition program with a trial of the cameras at the police academy in Joondalup.
File image: A surveillance camera. WA Police will become the first in the country to use real-time AI-generated facial recognition. iStock
The technology monitors groups of people from police vans and compares faces against a database of targets in real-time.
Initial monitoring is being launched in areas at high risk of crime.
Senior police officers say the technology can quickly identify known criminals, such as violent individuals and child sex offenders.
“Live Facial Recognition is about using modern technology responsibly to keep our community safe. It allows police to focus on individuals who present a real risk, while the vast majority of people go about their day without any impact at all,” WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch said.
“Live Facial Recognition is about protecting people, not watching people.
“It is another tool to help police find the right people, at the right time, for the right reasons.
“This technology is the way forward when it comes to supporting frontline policing.
“It’ll help to get high-risk offenders off the streets sooner and reunite vulnerable people with safety and care more quickly.”
To maintain transparency, signs warning the public are posted.
Since last October, AI cameras have been deployed on WA roads to catch motorists speeding and carrying out other driver infringements.
But the move has proved controversial, with thousands of drivers successfully appealing and wiping $2.2 million in fines.
Despite the AI traffic camera backlash, the WA government plans to roll out even more within the next six months.
The opposition says the government needs to iron out the issues before launching more.
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