Police in Croydon said that they will be deploying facial recognition technology to ‘crime hotspots’ in the borough from this week after the success of trials earlier this year. 

The use of such technology has prompted concerns of privacy from residents but MPs and Police argue it will lead to improved safety and lower crime rates.

Elsewhere in London, Islington, Haringey and Newham councils have rejected the use of such technology over fears of personal data breaches. Islington Council said the technology is “intrusive” and “unreliable”.  

Facial recognition was first introduced to Croydon in January 2024. Speaking in a debate in the House of Commons this week, Shadow Home Secretary and MP for Croydon South. Chris Philp, said: “Over that time, in Croydon, it has led to approximately 200 arrests of people who would not otherwise have been arrested.” This includes a man who had been wanted by Police since 2017.

The Metropolitan Police say facial recognition technology is used to prevent crime and find wanted criminals. It is also able to keep the public safe by acting as a “real-time aid” to help the police locate people who are on criminal watchlists.  

In 2024, Croydon’s overall crime rate is 2.3% higher than the London average. In January 2024, Croydon had the highest rate in London for possession of weapons and in May 2024, it had the highest rate for shoplifting. However, the most common crimes in the borough are violence and sexual offences.  

According to the Met’s policy document on the use of such technology a “crime hotspot” is an area indicated by data where the rate of crime exists within the upper quartile of a given location. 

Philp said the price the public pay for the deployment of this software is the chance we may get “scanned” when walking down the street. He states that himself and a majority of the public think this is a “reasonable trade-off.”  

Even if a member of the public were to get scanned, police say that where the live facial recognition system does not generate an alert: “that person’s biometric data is immediately automatically deleted by the software.” 

In areas where facial recognition technology is in use, there also must be public signage displayed to notify the public. 

Philp said he strongly urged ministers to support the technology: ”As we speak, it is arresting criminals in Croydon and elsewhere who would not otherwise be caught.”