Two new Live Facial Recognition vans boost crime-fighting capability in Hertfordshire

Hertfordshire Constabulary has strengthened its Live Facial Recognition (LFR) capability with the introduction of two dedicated deployment vehicles, enhancing its ability to locate wanted offenders, support investigations and help keep communities safe.

Since its initial trial in Cheshunt in December 2025, LFR technology has been deployed at a range of locations across Hertfordshire as part of its phased rollout.

LFR is a policing tool that compares facial images captured by a live camera feed against a pre-authorised watchlist of individuals wanted by police. When a potential match is identified, an alert is generated for officers to review.

The technology helps officers locate wanted suspects, prevent and detect crime, and safeguard vulnerable people. It is typically deployed in busy public places and at events where there is intelligence or operational need to support its use.

Detective Chief Superintendent Nev Hanks said: “Having two dedicated Live Facial Recognition (LFR) vans gives Hertfordshire Constabulary greater flexibility to use the technology across the county, supporting our efforts to identify wanted individuals, prevent crime and protect the public.

“While LFR is still being rolled out across Hertfordshire, its use is governed by rigorous safeguards and senior officer authorisation. Watchlists are strictly limited to people wanted by police, ensuring the technology remains focused on helping officers locate those individuals rather than monitoring law-abiding members of the public. This enhanced capability will help us use the technology where it can have the greatest operational impact, supporting investigations and keeping communities safe.”

The purchase of the two new LFR vehicles and associated technology has been funded by the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire, Jonathan Ash-Edwards, following a successful trial of the technology.

Public feedback gathered by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner following an LFR deployment in Broxbourne at the end of 2025 demonstrated strong support for the technology. The survey, conducted ahead of the wider rollout in February 2026, received 3,787 responses. More than four in five respondents (82%) said police use of LFR is always or usually acceptable, while 91% believed it would help catch more criminals and 93% said its presence would not deter them from visiting a town centre.

Jonathan Ash-Edwards, Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire said: “The acquisition of Live Facial Recognition vans for Hertfordshire is an important step in the police’s use of effective technology to catch criminals and keep communities safe, following successful pilots earlier in the year. I was pleased to provide funding for these vans to strengthen the constabulary’s ability to locate wanted offenders, protect vulnerable people and prevent crime. LFR was clearly backed by the public in my survey last year with 82% of residents saying it was an acceptable tool for the police to use. It operates within strict legal and ethical standards and will make a positive difference to keeping our public spaces safe and catching criminals in Hertfordshire”.

Detective Chief Superintendent Nev Hanks continued: “We are committed to using LFR in a transparent and responsible way, with clear safeguards in place to protect privacy and maintain public confidence. Images of people who do not generate a match are deleted immediately, while images associated with a potential match are automatically deleted within 24 hours.

“Any potential match is reviewed by trained officers and does not automatically result in enforcement action. Professional judgement remains central to every police interaction.

“We have also received positive feedback from residents and businesses who believe the technology helps deter crime and contributes to a greater sense of safety within our communities. Policing in Hertfordshire is founded on consent, and this public support gives us confidence as we continue to develop our use of Live Facial Recognition where it is lawful, necessary and proportionate to do so.”

Further information about Live Facial Recognition, including answers to frequently asked questions, policies and procedures, is available on the Hertfordshire Constabulary website at https://www.herts.police.uk/lfr. Details of deployments are routinely published in advance, with the results of each deployment made available within five working days. The only exception is where advance publication could compromise an operational policing objective, such as locating and apprehending a wanted individual.