Facial recognition cameras the way to go

THE EDITOR: The number one job of the government is the safety and security of its citizenry. This country needs to be transformed into a surveillance society. I am not sure what the laws are concerning the use of facial recognition cameras in public spaces, but I think that the government needs to seriously consider implementing policies that will allow for the increased use of these high-tech cameras, especially when one considers the large number of murders, car thefts and violent crimes in TT.

The government also needs to educate the public on its effectiveness and many benefits. The fear factor does not exist for criminals in this country any more. They are becoming braver in their acts partly due to the fact that many cameras are not that effective in identifying faces.

Facial recognition surveillance utilises high-definition cameras to capture the faces of people in public areas. It then is able to take these images and compare them against images in law enforcement databases. The new images are uploaded into the database, whether or not the person matched any existing image.

The use of facial recognition will definitely have its critics as the problem with opinions is that everybody has one and in many instances, opinions lack the proper information. Some will argue that it is an unethical tool used to spy on the public. The reason for such criticism is however largely due to lack of information and regulation around the technology. If used proportionately and responsibly, facial recognition can and should be a force for good in TT. It has the power to do a lot more to increase security in the future.

SIMON WRIGHT

Chaguanas