Police launch mugshots database to catch criminals who move around the country

The photographs of millions of people are being put on a national police database (NPD) for the first time next year to try to stop criminals escaping detection simply by moving around the country. Detectives say face-matching technology is a 'game changer', but doubts remain on what data should be held

From March 2013 detectives will be able to compare suspects' images with an estimated 16 million mugshots of people taken into police custody, using Facebook-style photo technology that has never before been available to forces on a nationwide system.

However, campaigners raised concerns yesterday about breaches of civil liberties, with the pictures of people not convicted of any offence being held on the system, and police tactics changing to make use of the new photographic resource.

The system is an extension of the police national database which was established in 2011 following recommendations by a judge, prompted by the failure of intelligence sharing over the 2002 Soham murders.

Read the full story from The Independent, here

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