Scotland’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary has urged Police Scotland and the Scottish Government to consider live facial recognition (LFR) as a tool to prevent football-related violence and disorder.

Craig Naylor, who has served as HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary in Scotland since 2022, made the call in his latest annual report, urging policing to “be ambitious” in its use of emerging operational technology.

He said drones and facial recognition, when used responsibly and with appropriate safeguards, could help reduce the threat posed by high-risk sex offenders, organised crime groups, violent offenders and others who cause significant harm to communities.

Naylor also identified football-related violence as an area where facial recognition could play a role.

“The challenge is not whether to adopt these technologies, but how quickly they can do so safely, ethically and effectively,” he said.

He called on police and law enforcement partners to make greater use of technologies including remotely piloted aircraft systems and facial recognition, while ensuring their deployment is properly governed.

“The public sector should be ambitious in harnessing innovation to improve services while preserving public trust and accountability by explaining the case for use of these new capabilities,” he said.

Tackling football disorder

Naylor described the recent football violence and disorder seen in Scotland as “a situation that cannot continue to be tolerated”.

He warned that the growing threat, particularly incidents taking place away from football grounds, could lead to increasing numbers of police officers being deployed to matches. This could remove officers from other communities while increasing policing costs through overtime and other deferred costs.

He said responsibility for creating a safer environment should be shared between policing, football clubs, governing bodies, local authorities and supporter groups. Facial recognition, he suggested, should form part of a wider package of measures aimed at preventing banned individuals from attending matches.

“Elements such as restricting the number of fans allowed to attend matches, banning orders with more rigour, requirements to use modern technologies such as facial recognition to prevent the attendance of banned individuals should all be explored and enacted to ensure that this behaviour is stopped,” Naylor said.

Police Scotland does not currently use live facial recognition, unlike a number of forces elsewhere in the UK.

In 2025, Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority held a national conversation to gather views from the public and stakeholders on the potential future use of the technology. They have since said they will continue engagement while considering the policy and operating procedures required for any introduction of LFR.

Wider push for public sector reform

The call for greater use of technology forms part of a wider message from Naylor’s annual report, which covers HMICS scrutiny work during 2025-26.

HMICS published 11 inspection and joint inspection reports during the year, covering areas including frontline operational equipment, drug harm reduction, officer and staff conduct and discipline, police custody and the citation of prosecution witnesses.

Naylor also highlighted the appointment of a Cabinet Secretary for Public Service Reform as a “significant and welcome recognition” that Scotland needs an accelerated programme of public sector reform. He said the reforms already undertaken across policing and the fire service offered lessons for the wider public sector.

“Scotland’s public sector must move beyond discussing reform and into a period of decisive implementation,” he said.

A joint inspection by HMICS and HM Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland into how prosecution witnesses are cited to attend sheriff courts, for example, identified opportunities for greater use of digital technology to reduce duplication, improve efficiency and redesign services around citizens rather than institutional processes.

Naylor said the review demonstrated the importance of looking beyond individual organisations when considering reform.

“The inefficiencies identified were not the responsibility of any single organisation but arose from long-standing arrangements operating across policing, prosecution and the courts,” he said. “Public services do not operate in isolation, and neither should reform.”

He also questioned whether Scotland has sufficient independent scrutiny across the wider justice system, noting that while policing and prosecution are subject to established inspection arrangements, there is no equivalent inspectorate for the courts and tribunals system.

He said stronger whole-system oversight could help identify barriers to reform, support strategic planning and accelerate modernisation across organisational boundaries. During 2025-26, HMICS made recommendations to Police Scotland, the Scottish Police Authority, SPA Forensic Services, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service.

Naylor said effective policing ultimately depends on continuous learning and improvement, both within Police Scotland and across the wider justice system.

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Live facial recognition at The Emergency Tech Show

The future of live facial recognition will also be explored at The Emergency Tech Show on 16 September, with a session examining how police can build public trust as use of the technology expands.

‘Live facial recognition: what’s next?‘ takes place from 10:00-10:40 on the Emergency Tech Leaders’ Stage, sponsored by AWS, and will look at the importance of aligning governance with technology.

South Wales Police, a pioneer in LFR, will share its experience, with Paul Newman, Director of Digital Data and Technology, and Louise Voisey, Joint Data Protection Officer, discussing the technology’s evolution and what comes next. Register for your free ticket here.