In Moscow, during the operation of the facial recognition system, 1.5 thousand criminals were identified

The Sfera facial recognition system installed in the Moscow metro since September 2020 has helped identify almost 1.5 thousand dangerous criminals. This was announced by the deputy mayor of the capital for transport issues, Maxim Liksutov.

“The Sphere video analytics system has been operational since September 1, 2020. With its help, in close cooperation with the police, it was possible to identify almost 1.5 thousand dangerous criminals, among whom were murderers, rapists, and robbers. They tried to escape after committing serious crimes and posed a threat,” said Mr. Liksutov (quoted from Telegram-Moscow Department of Transport channel).

Maxim Liksutov noted that thanks to the video system installed in the capital’s metro, it was possible to find more than 1 thousand people who were listed as missing, including 280 children.

The first smart cameras appeared at Moscow metro stations in 2018 in preparation for the FIFA World Cup. However, at that time the Sfera was tested only at three stations: Sportivnaya, Vorobyovy Gory and Frunzenskaya. Since 2020, the system has been implemented at most stations.

As the Department of Transport explains, “Sphere” converts the face of a passenger who has passed through a turnstile in the metro into a “unique biometric key” and compares it with law enforcement databases. If the system finds a match, it forwards the information to the police. The Department of Transport emphasizes that the system “recognizes” only those people who are in the wanted database, the rest of the passengers remain 100% anonymous – only law enforcement agencies have access to information.