Cumbria Police to consult on use of facial recognition at Appleby Fair
The force will be gathering views from the gypsy and traveller community on whether Live Facial Recognition (LFR) cameras should be deployed at future Appleby Horse Fairs.
The technology will not be used during the 2025 event.
Detective Superintendent Dan St Quintin, gold police commander for Appleby Horse Fair, said: "Whilst we are not deploying facial recognition during the 2025 Appleby Horse Fair, I want to gauge public opinion on its potential future use.
"Therefore, we want to use the opportunity of the 2025 fair to reach out to all communities impacted by the fair to gauge opinion and feeling around the proposal.
"As gold commander for the Appleby Horse Fair policing operation, it is my role to look each year at how we can enhance the safety of this event.
"This technology has the potential to have a profoundly positive impact on our ability to keep people safe – by quickly identifying people who are suspected of committing a crime, have travelled here despite being wanted by the police, and by helping us to safeguard vulnerable people, including missing individuals.
"However, policing by consent relies on public support for such measures, which is why we are asking for the public's views on our use of this technology in future Appleby Horse Fair policing operations."
Live Facial Recognition works by using cameras to scan the faces of passers-by and instantly compare them against a curated database of individuals wanted by police.
The technology could be used to identify people suspected of crimes, those wanted on warrant, or individuals reported missing.
Billy Welch, a Gypsy and Traveller representative and member of the Multi Agency Co-ordinating Group (MASCG), said: "As the tenant of Fair Hill, I work with police and the council to keep Appleby Fair safe and enjoyable for everyone, for the sake of our children and grandchildren.
"Wherever people gather in large numbers, CCTV and security cameras have become normal, and the technology has advanced so fast that facial recognition is now a fact of life.
"If Cumbria Police can use it to identify criminality and troublemakers and keep them away from the fair, then I would support it.
"People who have not committed any offence have nothing to worry about.
"Some people might disagree, but whatever you think about this proposal, it is important that all points of view are heard, so I encourage everyone to take part in this survey so that police can measure public opinion before the fair next year."
David Allen, Cumbria's Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner said: "As commissioner, I am the voice of the public in policing and fire services in the county, so I'm really pleased to see Cumbria Constabulary consulting with the public on their thoughts surrounding facial recognition.
"I want to make it clear: this isn't a tool to spy on law-abiding members of the public.
"I would like to encourage anyone at the fair and in Appleby to take part in the survey – we genuinely do want your opinions and for you to raise any concerns.
"Let us work together to ensure that we can continue to keep Cumbria and Appleby Fair safe for everyone."
People attending the fair, as well as those living in the area, will be able to take part in the survey.
Written forms will be made available at the Tourist Information Centre in Appleby.
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