The Edmonton Police Service revealed on Tuesday that they will be the pioneering police force globally to implement a facial-recognition-enabled bodycam trial using an artificial intelligence (AI) product from Axon Enterprise. Acting Supt. Kurt Martin from EPS’ information and analytics division emphasized during a news conference that the facial-recognition technology is not intended to replace human investigative work but rather complement it. The software’s identifications will be verified by officers with facial recognition training.
EPS aims to enhance public and officer safety while upholding privacy concerns by testing this new tool in their operational arsenal. Arizona-based Axon Enterprise, known for developing weapons and technology products for military, law enforcement, and civilians where allowed by law, is the provider of this AI technology.
Commencing tomorrow, up to 50 Edmonton police officers equipped with bodycams will start using Axon’s facial-recognition-enabled cameras for the rest of the month. This initiative aligns with the provincial government’s plan to mandate bodycams for all Alberta police officers by 2023, with EPS starting the rollout in 2024.
Acting separately from the provincial mandate, the partnership with Axon is a limited proof-of-concept trial to assess the feasibility and functionality of facial recognition on body-worn cameras in policing operations. The goal is to leverage this technology to identify flagged individuals for officer safety and to locate individuals with outstanding warrants for serious crimes.
The facial-recognition system will not actively run while officers are in the field wearing the cameras; it will only be activated by officers during investigations or enforcement actions. The technology operates in “silent mode” when the body-worn cameras are recording, with no real-time alerts for facial resemblances. Any facial data not matching the EPS database is promptly discarded.
Following the trial, EPS officers trained in facial-recognition analysis will evaluate the software’s performance and accuracy in identifying matches. The Edmonton police commission and the chief’s committee will review the trial results before deciding on the potential future implementation of facial-recognition bodycams in 2026.
Concerns surrounding facial-recognition technology include privacy issues and accuracy concerns, with experts emphasizing the need for thorough impact assessments to ensure compliance with privacy laws and protection of individuals’ rights. The use of facial-recognition technology has raised ethical and privacy debates, with ongoing legal and privacy considerations in place to address potential risks and ensure accountability.