Edmonton Police Service partners with U.S. company to test use of facial-recognition bodycams
CBC
The Edmonton Police Service announced Tuesday it will become the first police force in the world to use an artificial intelligence (AI) product from Axon Enterprise to trial facial-recognition-enabled bodycams.
“I want to make it clear that this facial-recognition technology will not replace the human component of investigative work,” acting Supt. Kurt Martin with EPS’ information and analytics division said during a news conference.
“In fact, the resemblances that are identified by this software will be human-verified by officers trained in facial recognition.”
Martin said the police force’s goal is to test another tool in its operations toolbox that can help further ensure public and officer safety while also respecting privacy considerations.
Axon Enterprise, an Arizona-based company, develops weapons and technology products for military, law enforcement and civilians in jurisdictions where legal.
Starting Wednesday, up to 50 Edmonton police officers who are currently using bodycams will begin to use Axon’s facial-recognition-enabled cameras on their shifts for the remainder of the month.
In 2023, the provincial government announced plans to mandate bodycams for all police officers in Alberta. For EPS, the use of bodycams by its members began to roll out in 2024.
The partnership with Axon is separate from the provincial mandate, Martin said.
“The proof of concept is a limited testing period to determine the feasibility of facial recognition on body-worn video cameras and their functionality within policing,” he said.
Martin said the trial will test the technology's ability to allow officers to use mugshots to identify individuals who are already in the system because of “officer safety flags and cautions from previous interactions.”
The technology will also allow police to assess safety risks and be aware of individuals who have outstanding warrants for serious crimes such as murder, aggravated assault and robbery.
“In total, there are 6,341 individuals who have a flag or caution,” Martin said. “Currently, there are over 20,615 charges that have gone to warrant in Edmonton.
“As police officers, we have an obligation to attempt to execute these warrants in a timely manner to ensure that people who are charged with criminal offences can be tried within a reasonable time, as per their Charter rights … and under the timeline set by the Supreme Court of Canada.”
When officers using the cameras that will be part of the test are in the field, the facial-recognition system will not be actively running, said Ann-Li Cooke, Axon Enterprise’s director of responsible AI.
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