Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard has expressed his support for allowing police use of facial recognition technology. Although several parties in the Danish Parliament (Folketinget) may oppose this technology on principle, Hummelgaard believes that the effectiveness of law enforcement outweighs these concerns. He made this statement on Monday at a press conference following a meeting with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, other parliamentary parties, and National Police Commissioner Thorkild Fogde.
Hummelgaard emphasized the importance of solving crimes and prosecuting offenders as key arguments in favor of the technology. The discussion was prompted by a rise in gang-related shootings, which has necessitated consideration of new tools for the police. Facial recognition is among these tools, and the minister intends to approve its use.
National Police Commissioner Thorkild Fogde clarified that this does not involve real-time surveillance in public spaces. Rather, the focus is on the ability to automatically analyze large image databases instead of conducting manual reviews. Hummelgaard highlighted that the current manual reviews require significant time and resources from the police, whereas modern technology can significantly expedite this process.
According to Hummelgaard, the implementation of this technology could therefore free up considerable resources and enhance the effectiveness of police efforts in solving crimes.