82 wanted people caught by facial recognition cameras as deployment continues

Facial recognition cameras which have helped police catch 82 wanted people have been deployed in Wakefield this week.

West Yorkshire Police sent its Live Facial Recognition (LFR) camera vans into the city as part of the continued rollout of the technology.

Specialist officers operated two camera vans in Wakefield over a two-day deployment this week, supported by officers from the Wakefield City Neighbourhood Policing Team.

The force says eight people wanted on suspicion of offences were detected by the cameras during the latest operation.

Arrests made in recent weeks have included people wanted in connection with serious domestic offences and retail crime.

West Yorkshire Police first deployed its LFR technology in November 2025.

Since then, the force says it has resulted in 82 arrests directly from alerts. The cameras have also helped officers locate missing and vulnerable people, while 95 people subject to Sexual Harm Prevention Orders have been checked by officers.

The technology works by comparing live images captured by the cameras against a watchlist of people wanted by police or courts, or considered to pose a risk to the public.

Any alerts generated by the system are reviewed by specially trained officers before any action is taken.

Police say images of people who do not match anyone on the watchlist are deleted.

Chief Superintendent Stuart Bainbridge, District Commander of Wakefield Police, said: “Live Facial Recognition is an incredibly useful tool and this latest deployment in Wakefield has assisted our officers in keeping communities safe.

“The cameras are there to pick out persons already logged on police systems as wanted by the courts, wanted for arrest or as posing a risk to the public.

“Images of ordinary members of the public who walk by them are deleted almost instantly.

“The technology itself is tried and tested, and the number of wanted criminals it has now helped catch really demonstrates its effectiveness.”

Cllr John Thomas, Deputy Leader of Wakefield Council, said he had previously had concerns about the use of LFR in the city.

He said: “Like many residents I’ve had concerns about the use of Live Facial Recognition in Wakefield. People should never be subject to routine profiling or to unnecessary retention of personal information.

“After speaking directly with the police, it’s clear this is not a system of mass surveillance. The technology is used only to identify individuals already on police watchlists.

“Images of other members of the public are not retained. With appropriate safeguards in place, Live Facial Recognition is a valuable tool to help West Yorkshire Police keep communities safe whilst not impinging on our civil liberties.”