Use facial recognition to stop football violence, says police chief inspector A number of police forces in England use Live Facial Recognition (LFR), but Police Scotland does not Police Scotland should use facial recognition technology to stop football violence, the chief inspector has said. Craig Naylor, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of the Constabulary in Scotland, has told the Scottish Government that drones and facial recognition could “reduce the threats posed to the public from high-risk sex offenders, organised crime groups, violent offenders and others whose activities cause significant harm to communities”. A number of police forces in England use Live Facial Recognition (LFR), but Police Scotland does not. It comes after high-profile disorder at football games in Scotland last season, including pitch invasions at the Old Firm and Celtic’s title-deciding match against Hearts. Mr Naylor said “the challenge” for public sector leaders was “not whether to adopt these technologies, but how quickly they can do so safely, ethically and effectively”. He said: “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.” Mr Naylor described the recent football violence and related disorder witnessed in Scotland as “a situation that cannot continue to be tolerated”. He said the increasing threat, especially outside football grounds, was likely to increase the number of police officers being deployed to future games. This means less police officers are available in other areas and increases the cost of policing through overtime or other deferred costs. He said football clubs, governing bodies, local authorities and supporter groups must share responsibility with