Today’s news / Police initiate first facial recognition project
Peter Hummelgaard is ready to give the police the tools they need to crack down on young Swedish criminals on Danish streets. (Archive photo). Photo: Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix

Police initiate first facial recognition project

The Danish police have confirmed their first project using facial recognition technology to solve serious crimes, reports Rigspolitiet. The technology will enable authorities to review and analyze extensive video material with the capability to recognize faces given high enough video quality. Until now, it’s been unclear if police used facial recognition for anything other than identifying victims and passport control. Rigspolitiet had previously acquired proposals for the necessary software from the Israeli company Briefcam. Amid debates about the use of facial recognition, especially after gang conflicts involving Swedish nationals conducting violent acts in Denmark, the police express interest in using the technology to examine surveillance footage. Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard is open to allowing police discretion on its use, while a judge in March recommended judicial oversight for any crime investigation employing facial recognition.