Met to deploy more static live facial recognition tech

Building on an already substantial deployment of live facial recognition technology across London, the Met Police is to expand its use of static cameras in crime hotspots by the end of the year.

The cameras are fixed to street furniture like lamp posts but the Met says that they will be moved to different locations having learned from their first installation in Croydon. This means that they can be responsive to the changing nature of crime hotspots. Working with local councils, the Met is looking to identify further crime areas to use the tech.

Usually the Met uses vans equipped with live facial recognition (LFR) technology called NeoFace Watch from software firm NEC and sets up in crime hotspots so that the cameras can scan faces of passing public using a predetermined watchlist of those wanted for crime and missing persons, it then looks to match faces with those on the list.

On average, a deployment lasts from five to seven hours and according to data published by the force, can result in some arrests, with numbers ranging from zero to around 12 in one session. Since the start of 2024, the Met said it has made more than 2,000 arrests across all deployments.

During the pilot of the static camera installation, which uses the same LFR technology, in Croydon the Met revealed that it has arrested more than 170 people in the last six months where the camera had been in use on 24 separate occasions. Cameras are only activated during deployments, when officers are present on the ground.

Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said that during that time over 470k faces had been scanned and there had been only one false alert. “The technology supports officers to target wanted criminals and registered sex offenders. Crucially it is supporting officers – not replacing them.”

Campaign group, Big Brother Watch, responded to the announcement of the expansion of static cameras by saying that the Met was painting a “rosy” picture of the approach that “masks a dangerous reality.” Jack Coulson, Head of Advocacy at Big Brother Watch added that this was an “alarming escalation of an intrusive technology,” calling on the use of LFR to be paused until legislation is in place to govern its use.

Read more – Met wins judicial review over live facial recognition but campaigners say the fight is ‘far from over’

We will be looking at Live Facial Recognition technology developments at The Emergency Tech Show in September. Paul Newman and Louise Voisey from South Wales Police, the pioneers of LFR, will be talking about how to implement it strong governance and safety in place. Register to attend here.