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Met Police to double usage of facial recognition technology

Met Police use live facial recognition technology to make 1,000 arrests

The Metropolitan Police is set to more than double its use of live facial recognition technology, increasing deployments from four to up to ten times per week.
This expansion is part of a significant restructure by the Met, necessitated by budget shortages and the loss of 1,400 officers and 300 staff.
The force has reported 1,000 arrests using live facial recognition to date, with 773 leading to a charge or caution, which Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley defends as targeting serious offenders.
As part of the overhaul, officers will also be redeployed to bolster public order crime teams, increasing from 48 to 63, due to a rise in protest-related incidents.
Additionally, officers are being moved to neighbourhood teams in areas like the West End and other crime hotspots to address street crime, including phone thefts, anti-social behaviour, and record-high shoplifting.