More than 100 people have been arrested by the Metropolitan Police as part of a Live Facial Recognition (LFR) pilot in Croydon.

For the first time in London, LFR cameras were mounted onto existing structures, such as lamp posts, allowing officers to run deployments without the need for a van.

This move has resulted in more efficient deployments, with an arrest being made on average every 34 minutes when in use over the first three months of the trial.

The average time to locate wanted individuals has reduced by more than 50 per cent compared with van-based deployments.

Of those arrested, a third were for violence against women and girls offences, such as strangulation and sexual assault. Others include recall to prison, burglary and possession of offensive weapon.

Figures shows that the pilot has helped drive down crime in Fairfield Ward, Croydon by 12 per cent, including retail and violent crime as well as sexual offences.

Those arrested include a 37-year-old Registered Sex Offender who was found in possession of an unregistered mobile phone and having access to social media, a breach of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and 27-year-old, who was wanted on suspicion of kidnap.
 

Lindsey Chiswick, the Met and national lead for live facial recognition, said: “The increase in LFR deployments across crime hotspots in London is driven by its proven impact and success — with more than 1,700 dangerous offenders taken off London’s streets since the start of 2024, including those wanted for rape and child abuse.

“This is why we are trialling a new and innovative pilot in Croydon. It allows us to explore a different way of using facial recognition by operating it remotely and more efficiently.

“The amount of arrests we have made in just 13 deployments shows the technology is already making an impact and helping to make Croydon safer. Public support remains strong, with 85% of Londoners backing the use of LFR to keep them safe.”