WA Police to Use Live Facial Recognition Technology

Topic: Surveillance

The news was reported on Fri 19 Jun 2026 at 1:54pm

Col Blanch says live facial recognition will make WA people safer.

In short:

A police van will use live facial recognition at big events or in crowded areas.

The faces will be matched with a database of people with arrest warrants, child sex offenders, and missing persons.

What's next?

The police might use more covert technology in the future, even at protests.

Western Australia will be the first to try real-time facial recognition cameras to find people wanted by police.

The cameras will be in a marked police van and will scan faces to check with a database.

The database has about 4,000 people with arrest warrants and thousands of child sex offenders.

Live facial recognition cameras will be used at big events in WA or in crowded areas.

There will be signs to tell people that cameras are being used.

This is about finding people who are wanted by police.

The cameras might be used in entertainment areas like Northbridge and at Perth Stadium.

If the technology finds a match, it will send an alert to nearby officers.

'Increased freedoms and privacy'

The police have used facial recognition on old footage for over a decade, but this is the first time they're using live feeds.

A marked police van will be used for the trial, and it can deploy standalone cameras.

The police are trying to stop people from worrying about their privacy.

CCTV cameras are everywhere, and they store pictures of everyone.

Police say they will delete pictures of people not on the database right away.

The technology will make faces that are not on the list look blurry, and it won't store any information.

The police might use more covert technology in the future.

The police already use facial recognition in a way that is not obvious.

The commissioner wants people to feel comfortable with the technology.

The police want to have a conversation about the technology.

The van will have clear signs that might stop people who would be recognized.

This is how the police plan to keep the community safe.

Private cameras are already being used.

Private companies are already using live facial recognition.

There was a problem with Bunnings using facial recognition cameras without telling people.

The ruling was changed, which might allow other stores to use the technology.

Kmart was found to have broken the rules by using facial recognition without telling people.

Kmart did not ask for consent to use the technology.

There are questions about using the technology at protests.

The commissioner said it's not his plan to use the technology at protests unless there's a big risk of harm.

The technology might be used at the Land Forces defence expo in October.

If the technology finds a match, it will send an alert to nearby officers.

There were ugly protests at the event in Melbourne two years ago.

The defence expo will have around 20,000 attendees, including senior military officials.

Protesters said the police used too much force.

The police are getting more powers.

The government introduced a bill to allow police to search people and vehicles without a reason.

The police commissioner can make a list of people who are not allowed in the area.

The commissioner hopes there won't be any problems at the defence expo.

The police don't want people from other places to come and cause trouble.

The commissioner said there's a plan for protesters from other states to come.

The cost of the live facial recognition technology is not being shared.

The cameras can help police watch people in crowded public spaces.

The police have access to private cameras that record number plates at a shopping centre.

A Greens MP said the extra police powers and facial recognition cameras are a big concern.

The opposition leader said he supports the police having more tools.

Practice Listening