Brazilian authorities will tap biometric tech to ensure a safe experience for locals and tourists at this year’s Rio Carnival.
Rio de Janeiro plans to test a facial recognition system during the Carnival to combat crime.
It will be deployed in the tourist hotspot of Copacabana and will be able to scan faces and identify known offenders and scan car license plates for reported stolen vehicles.
Rogerio Figueiredo, head of Rio de Janeiro’s state police said it will be rolled out in time for the Carnival.
"It’s a fantastic tool. It’s time that the police modernize. If (the cameras) identify an individual under an arrest warrant, or if a stolen vehicle drives through the area, an alert will be sent to the closest police car," Figueiredo told the O Globo newspaper.
There were high levels of robbery and other crimes at last year’s Carnival and tourists are sometimes targeted by gangs.
New president Jair Bolsonaro is continuing a hard line on crime and Rio’s governor Wilson Witzel is reportedly looking to acquire hi-tech surveillance drones which could be used to remotely fire on suspected drug gang members.
