Japa: UK Home Office Unveils £3 Million Facial Recognition Vans to Tackle Crime

The United Kingdom Home Office has announced the rollout of new facial recognition vans across the country, aimed at scanning public spaces in real-time to help identify wanted individuals and boost public safety.

In a statement published on its official website (gov.uk) and shared via its verified X handle, the department confirmed the move comes with £3 million in new funding to strengthen offender identification capabilities.

The new Live Facial Recognition (LFR) vans are equipped with high-tech cameras capable of scanning people in public areas in real-time. The system cross-references faces against a specific list of wanted individuals, with any potential matches reviewed by trained officers on-site before further action is taken. All vans will display clear signage indicating that LFR technology is in operation.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the initiative is part of the government’s broader “Plan for Change” to revitalise neighbourhood policing and address crime in town and city centres.

“Neighbourhood policing has been decimated over the last 15 years, but through our Plan for Change, we are turning the corner, starting with town and city centres,” Cooper said. “Within the next year, we will have 3,000 new neighbourhood officers and PCSOs in place, which is a big shift. We also want them to have more powers to tackle off-road bikes, shop theft, street theft and other crimes that have blighted some of our town and city centres, so everyone can feel safe in their own town.”

Cooper emphasised that the vans will be used in a targeted way, focusing on locating sex offenders and individuals wanted for the most serious crimes.

“That’s why we’re funding 10 vans and also drawing up a new legal framework, so we’ve got proper safeguards and checks in place to go after the most dangerous criminals,” she added.

The Home Office said the technology will serve as a crucial tool in supporting police efforts while ensuring all deployments adhere to strict safeguards and oversight protocols.