Hong Kong Police to Deploy Facial Recognition in CCTV

The police in Hong Kong plan to adopt facial recognition technology for their citywide surveillance by the end of 2025. A component of the SmartView project, the initiative will equip more than 200 patrol cars and thousands of CCTV cameras positioned at fixed sites with the ability to provide real-time identifications of crimes and missing persons.

As reported by the sources, Senior Superintendent Eric Leung states that 60 patrol cars are being fitted with units containing mobile cameras that have the capability of capturing license plates and car data, with the number expected to increase to 200 before the end of the year.

These mobile units are designed to assist law enforcement agencies in emergency situations and during daily patrols, as well as to aid in disaster response coordination.

SmartView, a platform scheduled to launch in 2024, already has more than 3,000 cameras. The Hong Kong Police Force has scheduled to install 2,000 sets of cameras each year until 2027, to install 15,000 camera sets. Most of them already support facial recognition, but at the backend integration level, they are awaiting real-time capabilities.

During service, officers can feed the facial characteristics into the system and receive notifications if a match is found in the surveillance video.

The police are also discussing collaboration with the Housing Authority, Transport Department, Leisure and Cultural Services Department, and the MTR Corporation to integrate their camera networks. This would greatly enhance surveillance and reduce the time required to monitor suspects.

To address privacy concerns, footage would be stored for 30 days, and images of buildings subject to privacy restrictions would be pixelated. Police reportedly stated that the use of facial recognition technology would also depend on factors such as height, lighting conditions, and compliance with the law.