Hong Kong police could deploy facial recognition tech in CCTVs by end of year

Technology will enable officers to identify suspects and missing people in real time, and force will also install surveillance cameras on patrol cars

Hong Kong police will incorporate facial recognition technology into their surveillance cameras as early as the end of this year, enabling officers to identify suspects and missing people in real time, the force has revealed.

Senior Superintendent Eric Leung Ming-leung said that from the end of July, the force would also expand its “SmartView” surveillance camera installation programme to mobile cameras installed on 60 patrol cars that would be able to identify vehicles and licence plates.

“We will see if it’s possible to use facial recognition in our SmartView systems by the end of this year,” Leung, of the force’s operations wing, revealed.

Police launched the SmartView project in April last year after conducting a pilot scheme to install 15 sets of cameras in Mong Kok in March. As of Wednesday, the force had installed 3,162 cameras across the city.