Metropolitan Police installs UK's first permanent facial recognition cameras in Croydon
The Metropolitan Police deployed permanent live facial recognition cameras on two streets in Croydon town centre, the first fixed installation of this technology in the UK. Privacy campaigners have expressed concern about the lack of legislative oversight and safeguards governing the system's use.
What happened
The Metropolitan Police installed the UK's first permanent live facial recognition (LFR) cameras on two roads in Croydon town centre, attached to lampposts or buildings, according to Mitch Carr, the Met's neighbourhood policing superintendent for south London.
The cameras are programmed to match faces to a database of alleged criminals and alert officers when images match against a wanted list, and will only be switched on when officers are deployed on the ground ready to respond to alerts.
Reported impact
Privacy campaigners including Big Brother Watch have strongly opposed the move, with the interim director calling it a 'worrying escalation in the use of LFR with no oversight or legislative basis' and describing it as a 'steady slide into a dystopian nightmare'.
Index analysis
The Met stated that it had previously used LFR for the King's coronation and reported that more than 500 arrests were made using LFR in the prior year, including individuals suspected of serious offences such as stalking, domestic abuse and rape.
Governance controls
Rebecca Vincent of Big Brother Watch stated that the deployment had 'no oversight or legislative basis' and called for legislative safeguards to be introduced before LFR technology continues to be used across the UK.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.