Thirty new CCTV cameras with facial recognition technology will be installed in East Perth, including near the new Matagarup Bridge, as part of a trial by the City of Perth to boost security in the area.

If the trial is successful, the technology could also be rolled out to the rest of the city's 453 CCTV cameras.

Engie Services DESA has been awarded more than $1 million as part of the City of Perth's smart city innovation program, which is a matched funding grant with the Federal Government.

Chair commissioner Eric Lumsden said the exact locations of the cameras had not been determined but they would be installed early next year.

"They will be in appropriate spots, where we can monitor activity and also obviously areas where we've received complaints of perhaps people being concerned about their security in that area," Mr Lumsden said.

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He said he was aware of similar facial recognition technology being used in London to improve safety, and said Perth was not "immune" to security threats.

"Even the Federal Government has said we've got to be more aware and cautious," Mr Lumsden said.

"We're not immune, if I can use that expression, from those types of threats, and from the City's point of view we'd rather be proactive rather than reactive."

"And certainly we've worked closely with appropriate agencies such as Federal Police, West Australian police on those issues."

The City of Perth said the facial recognition technology would only be used at the request of a legal authority, such as WA police, and would enable it to respond more quickly.

City of Perth chair commissioner Eric Lumsden said the technology was a proactive security measure. ( ABC News: Hugh Sando )

It used the example of a report of a lost child in a red T-shirt — the system can be configured so recorded CCTV footage only shows people wearing red, or can be filtered on other identifiers such as a hat or a backpack.

The search can be done on any recorded footage held in the system for the past 31 days; after that time the footage is overwritten and no longer available.

The City of Perth said it would not maintain its own database and any pictures supplied and uploaded to the system would be deleted once the information was passed on to the relevant authority.

Mr Lumsden said the new cameras would also be capable of measuring vehicle and pedestrian activity.

"The data will provide valuable insights and assist decision making for City of Perth planners, businesses and residents in the area, as well as enhance the efficiencies of existing safety and security measures," he said.