Police Scotland reduces the number of cases where children’s biometric data is captured

Police Scotland has been praised by the Scottish Biometrics Commissioner for reducing the amount of data collected from children. 

The reduction comes after Police Scotland implemented a change in policy that saw the force change the way it collects biometric data such as fingerprints and DNA from children.  

“Police Scotland introduced a new policy in March 2024 whereby biometric data is now only captured from children arrested in connection with violent or sexual offending, or otherwise by exception,” said the Scottish Biometrics Commissioner Brian Plastow. “In the year following the policy change, there has been a 7.5 per cent reduction in the number of children having biometrics captured.” 

Police use biometric data like fingerprints and DNA to aid in investigations, linking suspected criminals to crime scenes and confirming their identity if necessary. Once captured, the data is then stored if relevant to a criminal investigation and destroyed if the person is cleared of wrongdoing. 

This change in policy came after a review published by the Scottish Biometrics Commission in 2023 recommended that Police Scotland should take any decision to capture biometric data from children on a case-by-case basis. 

The report suggested that there be no ‘general policy’ that allowed the ‘blanket capture’ of biometrics when children are arrested in Scotland. 

“Around 4,000 children are arrested in Scotland each year,” said Plastow. “The outcome of this policy change is that less children will have their biometric data captured following arrest. This better reflects the interests of children and the policy position in Scotland via incorporation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024.” 

The Scottish Biometrics Commissioner’s annual report, published today, states that 2,003 children had at least one biometric marker taken after being arrested during 2023-2024. One year on from the policy change, the figure dropped to 1,851, a reduction of 152 children having their biometrics taken following arrest.  

In Scotland, the police can currently collect three types of biometric data in the form of fingerprints, a sample of DNA or a photograph taken in custody. The use of another form of biometric data collection called live facial recognition (LFR), which is currently used by police forces in England and Wales, is set to be implemented in Scotland despite opposition from human rights campaigners and politicians.  

“I would support the future use of live facial recognition by Police Scotland, providing that such use was proportionate and necessary and that it was not deployed in a way that would bring Police Scotland into conflict with the high bar of safeguards contained within the Scottish Biometrics Commissioner Code of Practice,” said Plastow. 

He added: “Having primary legislation in Scotland for the future use of live facial recognition would, however, provide better legal safeguards.” 

The technology works by mounting specialist LFR cameras on top of police vans in public areas to scan the faces of passers-by in real time. 

The faces are then compared against a database of people who may be on a watchlist of wanted criminals. The biometric data captured by the cameras is stored if the face is a match but is immediately deleted if no match is found.   

“This technology is glitchy and prone to false positives,” said Stephanie Melnick, speaking in support of a motion to oppose LFR at the SNP conference. “But even if it worked perfectly as it is, at its core it is the tool of an authoritarian surveillance state.”