Thief Recognition Technology

A new technology allows local groups of businesses create and share watch lists such as pictures of shoplifters or known bag thieves.

14:27 18 December 2015

Facewatch “thief recognition” CCTV is now on trial in UK stores to identify criminals.

 

The technology, which is widely used by UK stores, provided local groups of businesses a way to share their CCTV images of shoplifters and other potential offenders. With new developments in the technology, it is now giving shops the ability to generate alerts if a face recognition system matches 

individuals in the shared pictures to customers in their stores.

 

Simon Gordon, the founder of Facewatch, said: "What you can do now is link your face-recognition system to Facewatch and it will pull down the watch list that's relevant for your premises and your group.”

 

"Then, if someone walks into your premises, it will send you an alert."

 

He added: "It's live in test sites, but it's not in widespread operation yet.”

However, Renata Samson, of the privacy campaign group Big Brother Watch, is wary.

"The idea that pre-crime can be stopped is a worry, aren't we all innocent until proven guilty?" she says.

 

Simon agrees with Renata, explaining: "The people who are on the list are not guilty until they've been prosecuted and taken to court, and the system makes that very clear", Simon says - and under the Data Protection Act "if anyone misuses that data there are very significant fines".