Western Australia Police plan to trial real-time facial recognition cameras in public areas, a “first” described by multiple outlets as the earliest such system of its kind in Australia. The proposed rollout involves cameras that use artificial intelligence to analyse faces in crowds and compare them with a database of known or wanted people. Sources report that when the system identifies a match, it alerts police in real time rather than relying solely on later review of standard CCTV footage.
Several articles describe the trial as broader than conventional CCTV because it can operate live and flag suspected matches while people are still in the camera’s view. Reporting also indicates the deployment is limited to designated public areas rather than an unrestricted system, though the specific locations and operational details are not consistently outlined across outlets.
WA Police frame the technology as a way to improve public safety and speed up response compared with existing surveillance methods, while describing it as more effective than traditional recording alone. The trial is expected to begin on or around Monday, according to some reports.
