The force will be using one van and equipment, temporarily loaned for the three days from Bedfordshire Police, with the technology used to locate people wanted in connection with investigations into serious offences. The technology will be used in Lowestoft town centre on Tuesday 3 November, in Bury St Edmunds town centre on Wednesday 4 November and in Ipswich town centre on Thursday 5 November. The technology compares live camera feeds of faces against a predetermined database or ‘watch list’ of people of interest. Put simply, if you’re not on the ‘watch list’ your face cannot be matched. The scanning of an image takes less than a second. The data/image of those not on the ‘watchlist’ is automatically and immediately deleted and not stored. When there is a positive match, appropriate action will be taken by officers on the ground to confirm ID and then assess what the next action is to be taken. As with all previous deployments of Live Facial Recognition (LFR), protecting privacy remains a key priority. Images of members of the public are not retained unless they match someone on a specific watchlist. Sergeant Anthony Welford of the County Partnership Prevention Hub said: "If you pass through an area where LFR is in operation and you are not a person we are seeking to locate, your image is automatically and immediately deleted. "Live Facial Recognition is an effective tool that helps us locate wanted individuals, safeguard vulnerable people and enhance public safety. By assisting officers in identifying those we need to speak to more quickly, it helps us use our resources more effectively and allows officers to remain focused on protecting and supporting our communities. We are very grateful to Bedfordshire police for agreeing to allow us to use their equipment.” "Our deployments also provide valuable opportunities to engage with the public. During previous operations, many people took the opportunity to speak with officers and learn more about how the technology works. We welcome those conversations and encourage anyone who has questions to come and speak to us. Raising awareness and understanding of how technology supports policing is an important part of these deployments.” Police and Crime Commissioner for Suffolk Tim Passmore said: “I am pleased to see there are plans for live facial recognition technology to be used in locations across Suffolk. “It has huge potential to bring criminals to justice and prevent crime. “Anything we can do to keep Suffolk safe by protecting homes and business has my full support. | 
