Live Facial Recognition Technology
Cumbria Police uses Live Facial Recognition Technology (LFR) to prevent and detect crime and help protect the vulnerable.
Live Facial Recognition (LFR) is a technology that uses cameras to capture real-time images of people's faces and compares them against a predetermined watchlist to identify individuals of interest. It is used to locate persons of interest by generating an alert when a possible match is found.
Before using LFR, a secure watchlist of offenders is created od individuals wanted by the police and/or the courts. The watchlist may also include people who may pose a risk of harm to themselves or others.
LFR cameras target an area and the images are streamed to the Live Facial Recognition technology. The images are compared against the images in the watchlist. When the technology finds a possible match an alert is generated.
An officer then compares the camera image to the person they see and decides whether to speak to the person.
We will always explain why we have chosen to speak with someone and give them an informational leaflet with contact details if they have further questions.
It is our responsibility to use every tactic and innovation available to us to keep the public safe, deter criminality, protect people from harm and locate the most serious of offenders - and the LFR vans will help us to do exactly that.
Privacy notice | Cumbria Police explains how we collect, store, use, disclose, retain and destroy personal data.
The next deployment will be:
Saturday 7 March 2026 – Event: Carlisle United v Southend United
Is Live Facial Recognition (LFR) legal?
Yes. All deployments comply with UK law, including the Data Protection Act 2018, UK GDPR and the Human Rights Act. We also follow the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice.
How will I know if a LFR deployment is in operation?
Clear signage is displayed at deployment sites, and we publish details on our website and social media. This ensures the public is informed and can ask questions. LFR is a highly-visible policing tactic, and the public are encouraged to engage with officers during an operation.
Where will future deployments take place?
Future deployments will be advertised on this webpage.
What is the ‘watchlist’ that is used during a Live Facial Recognition (LFR) deployment?
The secure watchlist contains the details of people who are wanted for crimes, subject to court orders or pose a risk to the public or to themselves.
Any alerts are verified by an operator prior to an intervention by officers on the ground. The system will only seek to match those individuals placed on the watchlist. Each watch list is unique to that event where the technology is being deployed.
What if the system makes a mistake?
Every possible match is reviewed by a trained police officer before any action is taken. We never rely on technology alone. Human checks are always part of the process.
The facial recognition algorithm used in the vans has been independently tested for bias by the National Physical Laboratory (NPL). The testing found that the algorithm is accurate and there is no bias for ethnicity, age or gender at the settings used by the police.
The full results are presented in the NPL’s commissioned report:
Facial Recognition Technology in Law Enforcement Equitability Study
Does facial recognition work on face coverings?
Yes, Live Facial Recognition (LFR) can still work when someone is wearing a face covering, although accuracy may be reduced. Facial recognition systems typically analyse features such as the nose, mouth and jawline. When these areas are covered by masks or other coverings, the system relies more heavily on visible features like the eyes and upper facial regions. Modern algorithms are designed to adapt to these conditions.
Importantly, every alert is checked by a trained operator before any action is taken, and the system only attempts to match individuals who are on the secure watchlist.
How is my privacy protected, and will you keep any of my data on file?
The use of Live Facial Recognition (LFR) by Cumbia Police is designed to be responsible, proportionate, and fair. It aims to keep the public safe, identify serious offenders and protect the vulnerable.
If you are not on a watchlist we will never store your biometric data from passing through the LFR zone of recognition. It is immediately and automatically deleted.
Watchlist images and alerts are deleted within 24 hours after each day of deployment and CCTV footage is deleted within 31 days, the same as standard public cameras.
Can individuals opt-out of Live Facial Recognition (LFR) surveillance?
Individuals are not required to pass through an LFR zone; doing so is entirely voluntary. However, inclusion on a watchlist is not optional, it is a policing decision which is supported by appropriate justification.
If you wish to physically avoid a deployment this is not grounds on its own for us to have any interaction with you.
We will publish the dates and locations of a deployment in advance, except in very exceptional circumstances.
Related Documents: