SCOTS cops could be provided with facial recognition glasses that read lips under new plans.
The Scottish Police Authority (SPA) has approved £400m proposals for a "digital division" to tackle cybercrime.
Last month, we revealed how Police Scotland is planning a roll-out of body-worn cameras for thousands of officers next year.
Bosses have tabled plans to extend the controversial equipment to 11,000 officers across the country from 2024 onwards “dependant on available resources and finance”.
Hi-tech glasses could also be introduced that notify officers about recent figures on local offending and threats including guns.
A paper presented on the Police Scotland digital plan said: “In terms of emerging digital technologies such as, but not limited to, artificial intelligence, machine learning and facial recognition, it is essential that these are only considered for introduction into operational policing after the appropriate data ethics assessments have taken place.”
But SPA chairman Martyn Evans emphasised that the focus is on the introduction of the body cameras due to the force being a "late adopter" of the technology.
Fiona Taylor, deputy chief constable designate, said: “When we do introduce new technology, we are committed to engagement with partners and the public so we can address any concerns and ensure the use of the technology is transparent, ethical and aligned with our values of fairness, integrity, respect and our commitment to upholding human rights.”
Former Police Scotland temporary superintendent Brian Cook told the Daily Mail: "We all desperately want to see Police Scotland adapt for the 21st century and cybercrime is a ‘sexy’ issue.
“But it is far removed from bread-and-butter matters facing police and the challenge of delivering a service under great financial pressure. There’s still a huge question about whether these are the right priorities in terms of spending.”
We told how Police Scotland is freezing the intake of new civilian staff and axing scores of current positions as it makes “hard choices” due to lack of budget from the Scottish Government.
It comes after Chief Constable Sir Iain Livingston retired after 31 years of service.
He is being replaced by Durham Chief Constable Jo Farrell who takes up the post in October.
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