If Leong Sun Iok has his way, facial recognition could soon come to Macau’s casinos. The Macau legislator is pushing for enhanced security at area casinos and hotels and believes that facial recognition technology is the way to go.

On September 7, Leong sent a letter to the Macau government in which he detailed an increase in reported crimes in the city. He stated that, during the first six months of the year, casino robbery reports were up by 50% year-on-year according to data that was made available by the Office of the Secretary for Security.

During the first half of last year, only six robberies on Macau hotel premises were reported. This year, during the same period, that number had jumped to 13. A robbery is generally defined as an act of theft involving violence or the threat of violence.

Despite Leong’s assertions, there is other evidence to support the belief that crime is actually declining. Gaming-related crimes, according to the government, has shrunk by 3% year-on-year to 840 cases.