South Wales Police demonstrate facial recognition and drone tech

Lewis Smith, Local Democracy Reporter

South Wales Police have shown how they police major events with a demonstration of equipment including drones and facial recognition tech.

The demonstration took place during a visit from the Crime and Policing Minister, Sarah Jones, who attended an event in Cardiff Bay in March 2026.

It included a live facial recognition deployment and drone flight, along with a briefing on how the force polices major events in Cardiff.

Speaking at the event chief superintendent Marc Attwell, division commander for Cardiff, said the force was currently leading the way in the UK with its use of innovative technologies.

He said: “We use these for a range of events all across Cardiff. Everything from Taylor Swift when she came in to town last year right across to our international match days and high footfall events in the city centre.

“They’re an absolutely vital crime fighting tool for us. We’ve seen over 100 people arrested as a result of being identified on a facial recognition van because they’ve been outstanding for a serious criminal offence.

“They’re also used by us to keep really vulnerable people safe, and in the past year alone for example we’ve identified six people who had been registered as high risk missing people.”

South Wales police and crime commissioner, Emma Wools, added: “Live facial recognition is now a vital and effective tool in keeping our communities safe and ensuring offenders are brought to justice.

“Criminals are using increasingly advanced technology to evade prosecution. Policing has to match that pace, and LFR helps us do exactly that.”

Following a neighbourhood walkabout in the Butetown area of Cardiff, MP Sarah Jones said in policing it was important to stay one step ahead of criminals, adding that the South Wales force were ahead of the game when it came to facial recognition.

The visit comes after the announcement of a major “shake-up” of policing in England and Wales by the UK Government, in a move that could see the number of police forces in Wales slashed along with the role out of more technologies and a new national centre for AI.

Speaking on the white paper,  Jones said: “The reform is the biggest shake up of policing in 200 years and it’s designed to really make sure the police are able to deal with the every-day crime that the public want and expect them to deal with.”