Accuracy of facial recognition systems

The request was successful.

Dear Metropolitan Police Service (MPS),

According to a BBC News article published today, the facial recognition system to be used by the Metropolitan Police was capable of identifying suspects in 70% of cases.

Please could you provide an anonymised overview of the sample used in the test that yielded this result. Specifically, please provide the following:

- The percentage of the sample which were non-white
- The percentage of the sample which were male and female
- The age of the individuals within the sample

Yours faithfully,

Dan Rawle

Cyclops on behalf of Gary Quan, Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)

1 Attachment

 

Official Sensitive

     

 

 

 

 

 

Information Rights Unit
PO Box 57192
  London
SW6 1SF
  United Kingdom

  Our Ref: 01/FOI/20/013200

  Date: 24/01/2020

   

 

 

 

Dear Mr Rawle

 

Freedom of Information Request Reference No: 01/FOI/20/013200

I write in connection with your request for information which was received
by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) on 24/01/2020.  I note you seek
access to the following information:

 

According to a BBC News article published today, the facial recognition
system to be used by the Metropolitan Police was capable of identifying
suspects in 70% of cases. 

Please could you provide an anonymised overview of the sample used in the
test that yielded this result. Specifically, please provide the
following: 

- The percentage of the sample which were non-white
- The percentage of the sample which were male and female
- The age of the individuals within the sample

 

Your request will now be considered in accordance with the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 (the Act).  You will receive a response within the
statutory timescale of 20 working days as defined by the Act.  

 

If you have any further enquiries concerning this matter, please contact
us at [email address] or on the phone at 0207 161 3500, quoting the
reference number above. Should your enquiry relate to the logging or
allocations process we will be able to assist you directly and where your
enquiry relates to other matters (such as the status of the request) we
will be able to pass on a message and/or advise you of the relevant
contact details. 

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

 

Gary Quan

 

COMPLAINT RIGHTS

 

Are you unhappy with how your request has been handled or do you think the
decision is incorrect?

 

You have the right to require the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to
review their decision.

 

Prior to lodging a formal complaint you are welcome to discuss the
response with the case officer who dealt with your request.  

 

Complaint

 

If you are dissatisfied with the handling procedures or the decision of
the MPS made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act) regarding
access to information you can lodge a complaint with the MPS to have the
decision reviewed.

 

Complaints should be made in writing, within forty (40) working days from
the date of the refusal notice, and addressed to:

 

FOI Complaint

Information Rights Unit

PO Box 57192

London

SW6 1SF

[email address]

 

In all possible circumstances the MPS will aim to respond to your
complaint within 20 working days.

 

The Information Commissioner

 

After lodging a complaint with the MPS if you are still dissatisfied with
the decision you may make application to the Information Commissioner for
a decision on whether the request for information has been dealt with in
accordance with the requirements of the Act.

 

For information on how to make application to the Information Commissioner
please visit their website at www.ico.org.uk.  Alternatively, write to or
phone:

 

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Phone: 0303 123 1113

Cyclops on behalf of Sarah Strong, Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)

1 Attachment

    Official Sensitive

 

 

 

Information Rights Unit
PO Box 57192
London
SW6 1SF
  United Kingdom

  Our Ref: 01/FOI/20/013200

  Date: 20/02/2020

 

 

 

 

Dear Mr Rawle, 

 

Freedom of Information Request Reference No: 01/FOI/20/013200

 

I write in connection with your request for information which was received
by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS).

 

I am sorry to inform you that we have not been able to complete our
response to your request by the date originally stated. 

 

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act), we have 20 working
days to respond to a request for information unless we are considering
whether the information requested is covered by one of the 'qualified
exemptions' (exemptions which must be tested against the public interest
before deciding whether they apply to the information in question). 

 

Where we are considering the public interest test against the application
of relevant qualified exemptions, Section 17(2)(b) provides that we can
extend the 20 day deadline.  Please see the legal annex for further
information on this section of the Act.

 

For your information we are considering the following exemption(s):

Section 31(1)(a) Law Enforcement 

I can now advise you that the amended date for a response is 20/3/20

 

May I apologise for any inconvenience caused, your request is being
treated as a priority.

Yours sincerely

 

 

Ms S. Strong

MPS Information Manager

 

LEGAL ANNEX

 

Section 17(2) provides:

 

(2) Where- 

 

a) in relation to any request for information, a public authority is, as
respects any information, relying on a claim- 

i) that any provision of Part II which relates to the duty to confirm or
deny and is not specified in section 2(3) is relevant to the request, or 

ii) that the information is exempt information only by virtue of a
provision not specified in section 2(3), and 

b) at the time when the notice under subsection (1) is given to the
applicant, the public authority (or, in a case falling within section
66(3) or (4), the responsible authority) has not yet reached a decision as
to the application of subsection (1)(b) or (2)(b) of section 2, 

the notice under subsection (1) must indicate that no decision as to the
application of that provision has yet been reached and must contain an
estimate of the date by which the authority expects that such a decision
will have been reached.

 

 
COMPLAINT RIGHTS

 

Are you unhappy with how your request has been handled or do you think the
decision is incorrect?

 

You have the right to require the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to
review their decision.

 

Prior to lodging a formal complaint you are welcome to discuss the
response with the case officer who dealt with your request.  

 

Complaint

 

If you are dissatisfied with the handling procedures or the decision of
the MPS made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act) regarding
access to information you can lodge a complaint with the MPS to have the
decision reviewed.

 

Complaints should be made in writing, within forty (40) working days from
the date of the refusal notice, and addressed to:

 

FOI Complaint

Information Rights Unit

PO Box 57192

London

SW6 1SF

[email address]

 

In all possible circumstances the MPS will aim to respond to your
complaint within 20 working days.

 

The Information Commissioner

 

After lodging a complaint with the MPS if you are still dissatisfied with
the decision you may make application to the Information Commissioner for
a decision on whether the request for information has been dealt with in
accordance with the requirements of the Act.

 

For information on how to make application to the Information Commissioner
please visit their website at www.ico.org.uk.  Alternatively, write to or
phone:

 

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Phone:  0303 123 1113

Cyclops on behalf of Sarah Strong, Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)

3 Attachments

 

Official Sensitive

     

 

 

 

Dear Mr Rawle,

 

Freedom of Information Request Reference No: 01/FOI/20/013200

 

Please see the attached in respect of your Freedom of Information request
referenced above.

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

Ms S. Strong

MPS Information Manager

 

COMPLAINT RIGHTS

 

Are you unhappy with how your request has been handled or do you think the
decision is incorrect?

 

You have the right to require the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to
review their decision.

 

Prior to lodging a formal complaint you are welcome to discuss the
response with the case officer who dealt with your request.  

 

Complaint

 

If you are dissatisfied with the handling procedures or the decision of
the MPS made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act) regarding
access to information you can lodge a complaint with the MPS to have the
decision reviewed.

 

Complaints should be made in writing, within forty (40) working days from
the date of the refusal notice, and addressed to:

 

FOI Complaint

Information Rights Unit

PO Box 57192

London

SW6 1SF

[email address]

 

In all possible circumstances the MPS will aim to respond to your
complaint within 20 working days.

 

The Information Commissioner

 

After lodging a complaint with the MPS if you are still dissatisfied with
the decision you may make application to the Information Commissioner for
a decision on whether the request for information has been dealt with in
accordance with the requirements of the Act.

 

For information on how to make application to the Information Commissioner
please visit their website at www.ico.org.uk.  Alternatively, write to or
phone:

 

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Phone: 0303 123 1113