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Met’s Croydon Facial Recognition Trial Nets 100+ Arrests in Three Months

The pilot uses fixed street cameras under stated safeguards during a government consultation on biometric policing rules.

Overview

  • The Met reports 103 arrests since October in Croydon, averaging one every 34 minutes when the static system is active.
  • Fixed cameras on lamp posts feed a remote control room, which the force says halves the time to find wanted suspects compared with van deployments.
  • About a third of arrests relate to violence against women and girls, and the Met says LFR has identified more than 1,700 offenders across London since early 2024.
  • New Met figures point to a 12% fall in recorded crime in Fairfield ward during the trial; deployments use short‑lived, intelligence‑led watchlists and are only run when officers are on scene.
  • Use of LFR is widening nationally with new police vans and Home Office funding, and a government consultation on biometric rules is underway as the EHRC labels the Met’s policy unlawful.