Overview

• The operator-initiated facial recognition (OIFR) app enables officers to identify individuals who refuse, give false details or are unable to provide information due to vulnerability or unconsciousness.
• A recent match in Cardiff identified a 38-year-old man wanted under a European arrest warrant for 2012 drug dealing and assault, resulting in his remand to Westminster magistrates’ court.
• Independent testing by the National Physical Laboratory confirmed 100% match accuracy and zero false positives when subjects are not in the database.
• New deployment protocols require officers to use the app overtly after engagement, prohibit storage of captured images and include specific guidance for operations in private spaces.
• Since mid-2025 the trial has conducted 50 searches in South Wales—yielding 10 arrests, two court summonses, two non-criminal identifications and six no-further-action outcomes—and six searches in Gwent that produced three matches.