The Metropolitan Police Service says a three-month live facial recognition pilot in Croydon led to more than 100 arrests and a 12 percent reduction in crime in the pilot area. The pilot launched in October in Fairfield Ward and used fixed LFR cameras mounted on existing street furniture such as lamp posts, with monitoring conducted remotely.
The force said the fixed cameras were used for deployments in the pilot area instead of van-based units. The Met said an arrest was made on average every 34 minutes when LFR was in use.
It reported that one-third of arrests related to violence against women and girls, with other arrests tied to burglary, recall to prison, and possession of an offensive weapon.
According to the police, watchlists were intelligence-led, created no more than 24 hours before deployment and deleted immediately afterward. The Met said the fixed system was monitored remotely while specialist LFR officers remained on the ground during deployments, allowing officers to respond when an alert was raised.
The Met said average time to locate wanted individuals fell by more than 50% compared with van-based deployments. It also said the 12 percent crime reduction covered retail, violent crime, and sexual offences in the pilot area and cited public polling that it says shows 85% support for live facial recognition use in London.
In its wider reporting on the program, the Met said more than 1,700 dangerous offenders have been arrested in London since the start of 2024 through LFR deployments, including people wanted for rape and child abuse. The police said the Croydon pilot provided evidence for additional fixed deployments in crime hotspots.
Croydon Council said it worked closely with the Met to support the trial in the town center. The pilot is part of a broader push to scale LFR across London, including efforts to expand live facial recognition deployments beyond ad hoc operations.
Supporters argue fixed deployments allow quicker identification when a wanted individual appears, while critics continue to question governance and oversight. The Met’s latest figures add fresh performance metrics to that debate, including details on arrest rates, watchlist handling, and deployment mechanics.
Sources: Metropolitan Police Service
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By the ID Tech Editorial Team
