A live facial recognition (LFR) technology trial on a busy south London street led to 170 arrests over six months, according to the Metropolitan Police.
The pilot took place in Croydon town centre between October 2025 and March 2026. Over this period, the Met said LFR technology led to a 10.5% reduction in crime compared with the same period the previous year. Violence against women and girls offences saw the biggest reduction, falling by 21%.
Arrests included a 36-year-old woman wanted for more than 20 years for failing to appear at court for an assault and a 41-year-old man wanted for rape relating to an incident in November.
The pilot marked the first time that the Met in London has operated LFR deployments without the need for a police van. Previously, the cameras were mounted on vans and could only be used when officers were present in the vehicle.
Instead, the pilot saw LFR cameras mounted on existing street furniture – such as lamp posts – at two locations on either ends of North...