Edmonton police to become first police agency to test facial recognition body worn cameras

This month, the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) will begin a Proof of Concept to test facial recognition-enabled Body Worn Video (BWV) cameras.

In partnership with Axon Enterprise, Inc., EPS will be the first police service in the world to test Axon’s facial recognition BWV cameras.

The limited trial will assess the feasibility and functionality of the technology within the EPS.

Starting Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025 up to 50 police officers who are currently using BWV cameras will begin to use facial recognition-enabled BWV cameras on their shifts for the remainder of the month.

The Proof of Concept will test the technology’s ability to work with the EPS database to make officers aware of individuals with safety flags and cautions from previous interactions.

It also includes individuals who have outstanding warrants for serious crimes, such as murder, aggravated assault and robbery. Mugshot images in the database are EPS data.

Officers will conduct their duties as usual and when the body-worn cameras are actively recording, the facial recognition feature will run automatically in what’s called “Silent Mode.”

Officers won’t get any alerts or notifications about facial resemblance while on duty.

Later, specially trained officers will review the footage to see if the facial recognition software works as intended.

Any possible resemblance notifications will be double-checked by trained officers for accuracy.

The safety benefits and how it might affect day-to-day policing will be evaluated after the Proof of Concept EPS said.

After the test period, any still images used for facial recognition will be deleted, but the original video will be kept according to EPS rules.

“As we focus on continuous improvement around enhancing officer situational awareness and public and officer safety, we are pleased to be the first police service in the world to test Axon’s facial recognition technology through the use of Body-Worn Video cameras,” said Acting Superintendent Kurt Martin with the EPS’ Information and Analytics Division.

“We are hopeful that upon successful testing, it can be yet another tool in our toolbox to assist us in our efforts to keep our communities and officers safe. This technology will not replace the human component of investigative work.”

After the Proof of Concept testing for facial recognition on BWV cameras is complete, the Edmonton Police Commission and the Chief’s Committee will review the results.

Based on those findings, they will consider whether to move forward with further testing in 2026.

The Edmonton Police Service has submitted a Privacy Impact Assessment to Alberta’s Information and Privacy Commissioner to make sure this facial recognition Proof of Concept is fair and respects people’s privacy and the law.