Ethics committee to examine police's facial recognition scheme

The use made by Leicestershire Police of digital facial recognition software is to be scrutinised by a new Ethics Committee.

 

It’s one of five priority areas of work identified by the members of the new Ethics, Integrity and Complaints Committee, set up jointly by the area’s Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Sir Clive Loader and by the Chief Constable Simon Cole.

At its inaugural meeting last Friday (25 September) the committee also agreed to spend the coming months scrutinising the whistle-blowing systems, complaints to the force and deployment of police in times of austerity. It was also look at the use made by the force of Stop Search powers.

Professor Cillian Ryan, economist and Pro Vice-Chancellor & Dean of the Faculty of Business & Law at De Montfort University was unanimously elected as the chair of the new committee.

He said: “The committee has set its priorities for the coming year with the view to reassuring the public around key areas of policing, including new technologies such as digital facial recognition.

“We hope that the work of the committee will reinforce the community’s confidence in policing in Leicestershire, and contribute to the vital sense of partnership that the police rely on in their work with the community.”

During the meeting, the committee heard reports about the communications department which is a shared service between the force and the PCC, and examined the use made by the force of vehicles provided by commercial organisations under sponsorship arrangements.

Dr Steven Cammiss, Senior Lecturer in Law at the University of Leicester, was unanimously elected deputy chair of the committee.

The other members of the committee are:

·         Ms Lois Dugmore, Nurse Consultant, dual diagnosis, Care Quality Commission specialist advisor

·         Dr Mark Peel, Senior Lecturer, School of Social Work and Research and Consultancy, University of Leicester

·         Ms Lynne Richards, Head of Fundraising at the National Forest Company

Before the meeting began, members heard a series of presentations from the PCC and senior police officers about the structure of the force and PCC’s office and about the role and work of the force’s Professional Standards Department.