Commenting on HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary’s Annual Report 2025-2026, which calls for the use of live facial recognition technology, UNISON Scotland Police Staff branch secretary David Malcolm said today (Thursday):
“The Chief Inspector calls for new technology, but who does he think will operate it? There’s not a single line in this report about the crisis in police staff numbers and the vital work they do.
“Police staff are being cut to balance the books but they are the people who would operate facial recognition technology, handle the biometric data, deal with false matches and present evidence in court.
“You cannot demand expensive new technology and make record job cuts without someone asking how that adds up.
“We must tackle staff shortages first. Police Scotland cannot demand new technology with fewer people and no workforce planning. Police Scotland must recruit and retain the workers it desperately needs.”
Notes for editors:
– Police staff include 999 call takers, emergency dispatchers, scenes of crime officers, custody officers, financial investigators, crime analysts, fingerprint experts, counter-terrorism specialists, cyber-crime investigators, digital forensic staff, CCTV operators and many other roles.
– UNISON is the largest union in Scotland with its members delivering police services, social care, education, local government, NHS, utilities and energy. They are employed in public, private and voluntary sectors.