British police to develop national video ID system

British police are looking at developing a system that would use facial-recognition technology to automatically identify individuals caught on video cameras.

The plans are those of the Police Information Technology Organisation, or PITO, before it becomes part of the United Kingdom's newly created National Policing Improvement Agency next year.

The video recognition system will link into a national police database, called Find, for storing and transmitting facial images of criminals and their history. The service will also make the images and information available in mobile format to police officers on the beat, along with a mobile fingerprint-checking capability.

"PITO expects to prepare an outline business case for national video identification systems, define standards and link video images with facial images stored within Find, during the coming year," the report said.

PITO will also develop the Ident1 biometric technology platform, which replaced the national automated fingerprint database, to capture and store multiple fingerprint sets in order to increase the percentage of identified prints from scenes of crime.

Another key priority in the business plan is the rollout of a permanent Airwave secure digital radio communications network for the emergency services across the entire London Underground by 2008.

Airwave can already be deployed on London Underground during a major incident, but a contract for the provision of a permanent underground infrastructure for the entire Tube network is expected to be signed this summer.

PITO has set a target of deploying Airwave on a quarter of London Underground stations by March 2007 and then across the rest of the system and the Channel Tunnel by 2008.

Over the next 12 months, other enhancements to the 2.9 billion pound ($5.3 billion) Airwave network, which is available to all police forces in England, Scotland and Wales, will also be made.

"In the immediate future," the report said, "the network will be made more secure to an increased level of threat through the provision of improved network resilience and fallback arrangements. This will lead to an increase in the availability of the network and reduce the probabilities of failure."

Andy McCue of Silicon.com reported from London.

[duerra]

Now, the sky really is falling

I'm absolutely speechless. Dumbfounded. How the bloody hell could the people in the UK even possibly allow something like this to happen???<br /><br />There's really no words to describe the horror that I am feeling right now. How..... HOW????????

[plantagenesis]

God knows how...but it's happening anyway. <br />The 02 Airwaves system that runs the nationwide network of TETRA base stations that emit ELF pulsed microwave transmissions at a frequency of 17.6 Hz(significantly close to the 16Hz of human beta brainwaves) should in fact be called 02 Brainwaves. <br />The government's National Policing Improvement Agency(NPIA) dismisses symtoms attributable to TETRA as psychosomatic in origin and says that the system complies with the safety guidlines for the thermal effects of electromagnetic radiation transmissions. <br />However,there is an increasing amount of research and independent peer-reviewed papers that clearly indicate that ELF radiation such as that emitted by Airwaves IS extremely hazardous. <br />Dr Cletus Kanavy,of the Electromagnetic Effects Division at Kirkland Air Force base in New Mexico,states that <br />''The entire issue of human interaction with electromagnetic ELF and microwave radiation is a major national population health concern.'' <br />Dr Kanavy notes the''large amount of data ,both animal experimental and human clinical,to support the existence of chronic,non-thermal effects''. <br />These effects include behavioural aberrations,neural network peturbations,fetal(embryonic)tissue damage(including birth defects)cataractogenesis(cataracts)altered blood chemistry,metabolic changes and suppression of the endocrine and immune systems.There were also cases of sudden and unexplained mutations in frogs and wildlife in the radiation paths of ELF installations.It was only a matter of time before the public outcry would prohibit ELF transmitters. <br /> The esteemed expert on elecromagnetic radiation,Barry Trower was commisioned by the Police in 2004 to advise them on whether to accept TETRA as their new communications system,strongly advised the government to halt the TETRA system.That was back in 2004. <br />It is now fully operational 24/7 and anyone living near a transmitter is in danger. <br /> The health and wellbeing of ALL the members of the Armed forces and Police who have TETRA handsets attatched to their uniforms is in serious jeopardy.TETRA has cost the U.K. taxpayer 10 times the equivalent system in France,TETRAPOL. <br />The French system is cheaper and safer,mainly because it uses a safer frequency to TETRA. <br />TETRA ( O2 AIRWAVES)is a continuation of Military Mind Control technology developed and researched by the CIA and MI6 in 'Operation pandora'. <br />Police forces in the U.K.,notably Brighton and Hove in Sussex,have been using masers against the citizenry- homeless people especially . <br />When i found out this information i was ,like you,dumbfounded. <br />Since then i have been researching the subject and have written to my local M.P. contacted the local council ,been referred to the Home Office,then referred back again to the (NPIA).The NRPB,now part of the Health Protection Agency, also refuses to acknowledge that the non-thermal effect of ELF microwave radiation is dangerous. <br />THe Home Office is criminally culpable and guilty of allowing a nationwide programme of hazardous irradiation-all in the name of law and order.This government is guilty of perpetrating an unbelievable crime against humanity and i believe the people must now take direct action against the TETRA system itself. <br />Find out where your local TETRA mast is on www.sitefinder.ofcom <br />An MP has recently been arrested and had his home and office in the House of Commons illegally raided by the Police,acting on orders from Downing Street.The reason for this outrageous attack on the very bastion of our Democracy? <br />Because Damian Green M.P. was apparently receiving leaks about government policy from a civil servant in the Home Office. <br />Isn't it the duty of our M.P. s to represent the interests and concerns of us,the electorate? <br />We have now been told by the same government that has instigated TETRA,causing incalculable suffering and damage to the health of the nation,that this week's Queen's Speech will include a bill that,if passed,will give the government the right to store EVERY phone call,fax,email and ALL internet activity on a vast database,that will be accessible by numerous government servants,hackers and subsidiary government departments and county councils. <br />The reason for this unprecedented assault against our basic freedom of speech? <br />Security. <br /> <br />Unbelievable.

[duerra]

Now, the sky really is falling

I'm absolutely speechless. Dumbfounded. How the bloody hell could the people in the UK even possibly allow something like this to happen???<br /><br />There's really no words to describe the horror that I am feeling right now. How..... HOW????????

[marileev]

horrifying

Duerra, I agree with your sentiment. It's an abhorration to the UK to slowly eek away their rights.

[marileev]

RFID, ID Cards and now this?

It seems that the UK's facing some of the same privacy issues that we have in the US. More and more government is seeking to intrude upon the its citizens'. All this talk about throwing technology to track people, this coming from Mr. Blair's administration. The PM is a technophobe - <a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.iwantmyess.com/?p=29" target="_newWindow">http://www.iwantmyess.com/?p=29</a> so why institute these measures?

[Stalin Hornsby]

Nothing to fear but fear itself. P2P action? Baccus; wee' !

Tasu le tray vo.Bets off in adding a hologram (sp!) to critisize/ maybe a 'Dragon fly'; less the wings and on four wheels.