Western Australia is set to become the first jurisdiction in the country to roll out real‑time facial recognition cameras, with police preparing to scan crowds for wanted offenders, registered child sex offenders and missing persons at major events.
The technology will be deployed through a marked police van, positioned outside stadiums, festivals and other crowded locations. Cameras will capture faces in real time and cross‑match them against a police database.
Police Commissioner Col Blanch said the system will initially target around 4,000 people with outstanding arrest warrants, along with thousands of registered child sex offenders and individuals listed as missing. He stressed that the public would be clearly notified whenever the cameras are in operation.
Blanch also moved to calm concerns about privacy and surveillance creep, arguing that facial recognition is simply the next step in a world already saturated with cameras.
“CCTV cameras are everywhere. They are owned by private businesses, local councils, they are around the world … and who are they owned by, no‑one would know,” he said.
The trial is expected to spark national debate, with supporters calling it a vital tool for public safety and critics warning of potential overreach. For now, WA is positioning itself at the forefront of policing technology and the rest of the country will be watching closely.
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