Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police to use more new tech in coming year
It comes as part of their Operation Predict patrols where they aim to tackle more crime
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police say they hope new technology will help to assist policing in the coming year.
It comes as part of Operation Predict which will include tech like facial recognition vans, which work to scan crowds and notify police of anyone who may be wanted.
The vans were launched in Southampton last month as part of their operation patrols.
Alex Charge, Superintendent and District Commander for Southampton, said: "Technology is something we massively need to embrace in policing.
"It makes us more efficient and effective.
"I hope things like this and artificial intelligence will be really effective and help us with our goal, which is to arrest criminals."
The police say facial recognition can scan crowds to identify subjects at a rate and level of accuracy that can't be replicated by officers on the ground.
Any alerts that show up are verified by a specialist trained operator and assigned to officers on the ground to assess the information and consider next steps.
They'll be part of Operation Predict alongside other methods.
Superintendent Charge is telling us more.
He said: "When we run Op Predict, there'll be all sorts of things we will do.
"That might be plain clothes work, that might be engagement with PCSOs.
"It's part of that tactical menu of options and we will seek to use this (facial recognition van) in Southampton as much as we can.
"It's an efficient bit of kit, it enables us to scan crowds and it will help us to catch criminals."