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The Metropolitan Police have reported that a trial of Live Facial Recognition (LFR) technology in south London has contributed to reducing robbery and shoplifting, resulting in over 100 arrests. This pilot, conducted since last October in Croydon, utilizes fixed cameras mounted on street furniture rather than relying on mobile vans. These cameras capture individuals’ unique facial features and compare them against police watchlists. The force indicated that around one-third of the arrests concern offences involving women and girls, including serious crimes such as strangulation and sexual assault. However, this initiative is currently facing a High Court challenge following a wrongful identification incident near London Bridge last year.
In Croydon, the pilot involves 15 fixed cameras attached to lampposts placed around the busy North End high street. Sergeant Kevin Brown from the Metropolitan Police’s LFR team explained that these cameras are only activated during specific deployments, which have occurred 13 times over the initial three-month period. He emphasized that any biometric data gathered from people not wanted by the police is immediately erased. According to Sgt Brown, out of 103 arrests made, only one false alert was registered, though it did not lead to an arrest. Superintendent Luke Dillon noted a 12% decrease in crime in the Fairfield ward where the scheme has been trialled, saying, “We’re seeing reductions in almost all crime types, certainly in shoplifting and robbery.”
Among the individuals apprehended were a 36-year-old woman wanted since 2004 for failing to appear in court on assault charges, a 27-year-old man accused of kidnapping, and a 37-year-old registered sex offender who breached a sexual harm prevention order by using an unregistered mobile phone and accessing social media. Sergeant Brown highlighted that fixed cameras allowed more efficient operations compared to mobile vans, with arrests occurring approximately every 34 minutes. Despite the apparent success, the Metropolitan Police currently do not have plans to extend the pilot to other areas in London.
While the police describe LFR as a “game-changing” tool for fighting crime, various civil rights and privacy organizations have expressed strong opposition. Their concerns focus on privacy invasion, the risk of misidentification, and the absence of clear domestic legislation regulating police use of the technology. The upcoming High Court challenge will be led by Big Brother Watch’s director and Shaun Thompson, who was mistakenly identified and stopped by police near London Bridge in February 2024. Thompson called the technology “stop and search on steroids.” The Equality and Human Rights Commission, granted permission to intervene in the judicial review, has stated that the current use of LFR by the Metropolitan Police breaches human rights law. Meanwhile, the police maintain confidence in the lawfulness and proportionality of their use of the technology
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