DORSET Police was among seven forces inspected as a national watchdog uncovered concerns about the use of facial recognition technology, including custody photographs being wrongly retained and the risk of mistaken arrests.
His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) warned that public confidence in the technology could be damaged after finding some police custody images that should have been deleted remained available for facial recognition searches.
The findings emerged following an inspection of seven police forces, including Dorset Police, and the National Crime Agency in March and April.
The report did not establish whether the concerns about incorrectly retained images or inappropriate investigative action applied specifically to Dorset Police.
Inspectors examined the use of retrospective facial recognition (RFR), which allows investigators to compare images obtained during criminal investigations, such as CCTV footage, against photographs held on the Police National Database.
The technology can identify potential matches, but officers must carry out further inquiries before taking enforcement action.
However, inspectors found that some less experienced officers did not understand that facial recognition matches should be treated as intelligence rather than evidence.
The report said: "Some investigators didn’t know that RFR results were intelligence rather than evidence and required further inquiries before officers took enforcement action.
"This creates a risk that people could be incorrectly identified or arrested, which could undermine public confidence in the technology."
Inspectors also identified a small number of cases where officers relied too heavily on the technology, leading to inappropriate investigative action.
Concerns were raised about police forces retaining custody photographs beyond the period permitted under existing rules.
The report said: "The retention of custody images remains an area of concern.
"We found that some images which should have been deleted under existing retention rules remained available for facial recognition searches."
Inspectors warned that inconsistent oversight and inadequate training could further undermine public confidence.
“During our inspection, we found that governance, oversight and use of RFR wasn’t sufficiently consistent across policing,” inspectors said.
National auditing arrangements were also criticised, with figures from the National Police Chiefs' Council showing that only two forces in England and Wales had audited the required number of facial recognition records.
Seven forces had not appointed an auditor, while 22 had either failed to submit an audit return or provided incomplete information.
The watchdog also highlighted the absence of a comprehensive statutory framework governing police use of facial recognition technology.
It said legislation had failed to keep pace with technological developments, contributing to uncertainty and inconsistent practices across policing.
Recommendations included introducing clearer national standards, strengthening oversight and improving officer training.
Dorset Police was inspected alongside British Transport Police, the Metropolitan Police and forces in Cheshire, Gwent, Northumbria and Surrey.
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