A woman wanted by authorities for more than two decades has been apprehended during a six-month live facial recognition pilot in south London. The scheme, which took place in Croydon, resulted in 173 arrests for serious offences, including kidnap, rape, and sexual assault. This marked the first use of static cameras instead of vans for live facial recognition by the Metropolitan Police.
Impact on Crime
The Metropolitan Police reported a 10.5% reduction in local crime during the trial, which ran from October 2025 to March 2026. Additionally, there was a 21% decrease in violence against women and girls. Among the 24 operations utilising static cameras on Croydon High Street, a 36-year-old woman was arrested on a warrant for failing to appear in court for a 2004 assault. A 31-year-old man wanted for voyeurism for over six months was also arrested, as well as a 41-year-old man wanted for a rape in November in Croydon.
Police Statement
Lindsey Chiswick, national and Met lead for live facial recognition, said: “These results show why live facial recognition is such a powerful tool when it’s used carefully, openly and in the right places. Crime in this area is down by more than 10%, and the public can see the difference. This technology is helping us find people wanted by the courts, identify serious offenders quickly and focus our resources where they make the biggest impact, all with exceptional accuracy. We will continue using static cameras in Croydon as part of our regular live facial recognition deployments which play a vital part in keeping London safe.”
Technical Details
More than 470,000 people walked past the camera during the pilot, which saw only one false alert. The person involved was spoken to by officers and then allowed to leave. The trial involved static cameras placed on Croydon High Street, a departure from previous mobile vans.
Legal Challenge Dismissed
A High Court challenge against the Metropolitan Police's use of live facial recognition technology in London was dismissed last month. Youth worker Shaun Thompson, who was previously misidentified by the system, and Silkie Carlo of campaign group Big Brother Watch, spearheaded the legal action. They voiced concerns that LFR could be used arbitrarily or in a discriminatory manner across the capital. Lawyers representing the pair argued that facial recognition data is "similar to a DNA profile," warning that proposed permanent installations would render it "impossible" for Londoners to move freely without their biometric data being routinely captured and processed.
Scotland Yard defended the legal challenge, telling the court that the policy was lawful. Lord Justice Holgate and Mrs Justice Farbey said in a judgment: “In the context of promoting law and order in a large metropolis, the policy provides the claimants with an adequate indication of the circumstances in which LFR will be used and enables them to foresee, to a degree that is reasonable in the circumstances, the consequences of travelling in an area of London where LFR is in use.” The judges also said that Mr Thompson and Ms Carlo’s human rights “have not been breached”.
