Use facial recognition tech to stop football fan disorder, HM inspector’s report urges

Scottish police should use live facial recognition tech to tackle football violence, the HM chief inspector of constabulary has said.

Increasing match-day disorder “cannot continue to be tolerated”, Craig Naylor said, and police should use drones and similar systems to pick-out troublemakers.

Pyrotechnics, pitch incursions and matchday disorder have marred a series of fixtures over the past two seasons.

An independent review for the SFA called March clashes between Old Firm fans a “near miss” and found the disorder arose due to significant failures in planning, communication and matchday safety at the Scottish Cup quarter final tie.

Fans spilled onto the pitch and it took police more than four minutes to regain control.

The SFA report found that the situation “came within a very small margin of becoming a violent mass confrontation” and warned sanctions for disruption and disorder are “too modest, too deferred and too inconsistently applied to alter the behaviour of the clubs, groups and individuals they are designed to deter”.

In today’s report, Naylor – who has been in the role for four years – said the “deeply concerning” findings should be a “watershed moment for Scottish football”.

He said costs to Police Scotland are likely to rise and “clubs, governing bodies, local authorities and supporter groups must share responsibility with policing in creating a safer environment”, with “greater accountability” for supporter groups involved in trouble and the sanctions regime toughened.

He stated: “If these are not pursued, then I would call on government to take action to mandate a regime that puts the safe enjoyment of football (or any other sporting event) at the forefront of the planning and delivery of such events.

“Elements such as restricting the number of fans allowed to attend matches, banning orders with more rigour, requirements to use modern technologies such as facial recognition to prevent the attendance of banned individuals should all be explored and enacted to ensure that this behaviour is stopped.”

Community safety minister Kirsten Oswald announced an extension of football banning orders last month.

Live Facial Recognition (LFR) is used by several forces in England. Last year Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority engaged in a ‘national conversation’ where they sought the views of both the public and stakeholders on the future use of such technology by policing in Scotland.

They have since said they will continue to engage with stakeholders and the public while considering policy and operating procedures around the introduction of LFR.

Calling for authorities to “be ambitious” on the adoption, Naylor said the challenge is not whether to adopt such systems, but “how quickly they can do so safely, ethically and effectively”.

Success could help “reduce the threats posed to the public from high-risk sex offenders, organised crime groups, violent offenders” and others, he suggested.

Naylor stated: “Police and law enforcement partners must seek to exploit, with appropriate safeguards in place, advancements in operational technology such as remotely piloted aircraft systems (drones) and facial recognition.

“The public sector should be ambitious in harnessing innovation to improve services while preserving public trust and accountability by explaining the case for use of these new capabilities.”