19 July 2024
Southampton Business Crime Partnership (SBCP), which is run and managed by GO! Southampton, has secured continued funding for facial recognition technology plus an extra cash boost for schemes aimed at tackling crime in the city centre.
The additional £2,243 funding for the facial recognition scheme will enable it to be extended following a successful three-month trial across seven venues in the city centre. The trial was launched in December 2023 by the BID alongside security firm Synergy Security and local businesses to test the latest generation Reveal body-worn cameras, which incorporate facial recognition technology.
The cameras are worn by door staff, enabling them to identify excluded offenders in the night-time economy more quickly and easily by alerting staff if someone is trying to gain entry to a venue when they have previously been banned.
The scheme uses Reveal’s digital evidence management system, DEMS 360, which is also deployed by around 70% of UK police forces. The system identifies offenders who have been excluded from the city centre’s evening and night time economy venues via the Red Card scheme, issued by the SBCP.
The Red Card scheme includes all of Southampton’s Licensing Link premises, on the basis of ‘banned from one, banned from all’ for individuals whose behaviour falls short of the standards expected at licensed premises.
The ASB funding boost has been made available by Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Donna Jones. It includes a further £15,000 for extra GO! Southampton security patrols in the city. Many other projects across the City have also benefited with a total of £32,793 awarded for the collective bid put in by the partnership.
Operations Manager Jade McCauley from GO! Southampton said: “We’re delighted to be receiving this extra funding. We’d like to personally thank PCC Donna Jones, who has supported the facial recognition trial that the Southampton Business Crime Partnership rolled out last year. We are dedicated to ensuring Southampton’s record for being a safe and fun night out continues.”
Southampton retained the Purple Flag award earlier this year for its evening and night time economy. The coveted award, organised by the Association of Town and City Management (ATCM), recognises cities and towns that take measures to ensure their vibrant centres are safe, diverse, vibrant, appealing, well-managed, and offer a positive experience to consumers during the evening.
When announcing the funding, Donna Jones, Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police said: “Anti-social behaviour casts a dangerous shadow over many of our communities. Severely impacting the quality of life for residents, it also threatens livelihoods and negatively imprints on the wider community as a whole.
“These devastating incidents can often be precursors to more serious criminal offences. By providing this additional funding for diversionary activities and projects, this can be addressed and challenged at the outset.”
