The Metropolitan Police has revealed plans to deploy live facial recognition cameras on the soon-to-be pedestrianised section of Oxford Street as part of efforts to reduce mobile phone thefts. Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist stated that the force hopes the new layout will 'design out crime' and confirmed that such cameras have already been used on the street, despite opposition from groups like the Green Party over privacy concerns.
The announcement comes as the Met pledges to cut mobile phone thefts in the West End by 20% this year. Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley publicly criticised Apple, Samsung, and Google for failing to make stolen phones worthless, urging them to introduce 'kill switches' to permanently disable devices within 90 minutes of being reported stolen. He warned that if no action is taken by June 1, he will ask the government to legislate.
London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan, who plans to remove traffic from almost a mile of Oxford Street by September as part of a £150 million pedestrianisation scheme, expressed support for using all available tools, including CCTV, drones, and e-bikes, to tackle the issue. He emphasised that pedestrianisation, with proper design, can reduce crime while increasing footfall.
Sir Mark highlighted that mobile phone theft is not opportunistic but run by organised networks, often involving child criminal exploitation, with teenagers paid up to £380 per phone. He noted that stolen phones can be shipped abroad within hours, feeding global criminal enterprises. Over 71,000 phones were stolen in London in 2025, with only about 1,000 returned to owners, and the West End accounts for 40% of all such crime in the capital.
