FOLLOWING consultations with Ontario’s Information and Privacy Commissioner, advisory committees and the community, Peel Regional Police announced on Monday that it has implemented facial recognition technology to automate components of its current image comparison process. This new investigative tool, acquired through a partnership with York Regional Police, will significantly increase efficiency in criminal investigations, enhance collaboration between policing services and reduce costs.

“The new system will scan and compare against lawfully-collected digital evidence currently stored in our databases,” said Peel Regional Police Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich. “This new technology will not only support our criminal investigations greatly, but it will enable us to run mugshot searches faster with less human error, increasing safety in Peel Region.”

The images in Peel Regional Police’s existing mugshot database have been collected and stored, in strict accordance with the Identification of Criminals Act, during or following a criminal investigation. The technology will not be used to scan or compare against digital footage, including live video, from any other source, and all responses will be reviewed, analyzed and confirmed by trained experts.

The implementation will be supported by Idemia, which has been recognized as a leader in facial recognition technology.

For more information, visit peelpolice.ca/privacyandtechnology