Norfolk Police completed their first use of live facial recognition technology in Norwich city centre on 21 and 22 March 2026, scanning more than 50,000 faces to identify people on a wanted list. The trial was part of a new effort to use advanced technology to find individuals who pose a risk to the community while they are in public spaces.
During the two-day event on Gentleman’s Walk, officers identified two men using the scanning software. One person was identified as being wanted for failing to appear in court and was found in possession of cannabis, while a second man was identified as being subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order but was found to be following his conditions.
The vans used for the trial were borrowed from Bedfordshire Constabulary to help officers find people who might be avoiding the law. According to Norfolk Police, any facial images that do not match the watchlist are deleted permanently and immediately.
This deployment follows a national plan to increase the number of facial recognition vans from 10 to 50 across the country. While some groups have criticised the technology as being too intrusive, Inspector Toby Gosden stated that the system is designed to identify wanted people and has received a positive response from the community.
The police are preparing for a further trial of the scanning technology in the city centre on 28 March 2026. This second test comes shortly after Essex Police paused their own facial recognition programme to investigate whether the software algorithm contains racial bias.
