The OPP enforcement officers are attached to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, which oversees casinos. Neither the commission nor the office of Consumer Minister Bob Runciman would comment yesterday. Runciman's ministry, which is responsible for gaming, made the equipment purchase last year. The company which supplied the equipment said face-recognition is used widely in the industry. But he said only New Jersey and Louisiana have given it to police.
Casinos use most of the systems themselves.
O'Dea is the vice-president of Biometrica Systems Inc. of Mt. Vernon, New Hampshire, and Las Vegas. Biometrics have become an issue in recent weeks because the Ontario government is considering the technology for its smart card program. He said it was not clear whether the Ontario law governing the collection and control of information by a government organization even covered the situation.