{"id":864926,"date":"2025-08-14T21:04:57","date_gmt":"2025-08-15T02:04:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/08\/14\/met-police-to-double-facial-recognition-use-amid-budget-cuts\/"},"modified":"2025-08-14T21:04:57","modified_gmt":"2025-08-15T02:04:57","slug":"met-police-to-double-facial-recognition-use-amid-budget-cuts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/08\/14\/met-police-to-double-facial-recognition-use-amid-budget-cuts\/","title":{"rendered":"Met Police to double facial recognition use amid budget cuts"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"content-header\">\n<h2>The UK\u2019s largest police force is massively expanding its use of live facial recognition technology as it prepares to lose 1,700 officers and staff<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"content-center\">\n<ul>\n<li><i data-icon=\"1\"><\/i><\/li>\n<li><i data-icon=\"2\"><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"contributors-block\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/rms\/computerweekly\/Sebastian-Klovig-Skelton-CW-contributor.jpg\" alt=\"Sebastian Klovig Skelton\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p><span>By<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.techtarget.com\/contributor\/Sebastian-Klovig-Skelton\">Sebastian Klovig Skelton,<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Data &#038; ethics editor<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\n\tPublished: <span>01 Aug 2025 18:30<\/span>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<section id=\"content-body\">\n<p>The Metropolitan Police will more than double its number of live <a href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/feature\/UK-police-facial-recognition-what-you-need-to-know\">facial recognition<\/a> (LFR) deployments to cover the loss of 1,400 officers and 300 staff amid budget cuts.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/news.met.police.uk\/pressreleases\/met-prioritises-neighbourhood-policing-to-tackle-crime-in-london-hotspots-3397825\">Detailing its restructuring plans<\/a> \u2013 which also include bulking up the force&#8217;s protest-focused &#8220;public order crime&#8221; team and putting more officers on the beat \u2013 the Met said LFR will now be deployed up to 10 times a week across five days, up from the current rate of four deployments over two days.<\/p>\n<p>While the restructuring announcement noted 90 additional officers would be deployed to six &#8220;high-crime&#8221; zones \u2013 including Brixton, Kingston, Ealing, Finsbury Park, Southwark, and Spitalfields \u2013 it is unclear if these areas would also see a greater number of LFR deployments.<\/p>\n<p>The initiative follows the force warning in April 2025 that it faces a \u00a3260m budget shortfall for the coming year.<\/p>\n<p>Met commissioner Mark Rowley defended the move, saying the technology is used responsibly and only deployed to look for serious offenders.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe routinely put it out there and capture multiple serious offenders in one go, many of whom have committed serious offences against women or children, or people who are wanted for armed robbery,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a fantastic piece of technology. It\u2019s very responsibly used, and that\u2019s why most of the public support it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>On the restructuring in general, Rowley added: \u201cWhile our budget has decreased in real terms, we are using this additional [\u00a332m] funding from City Hall and Home Office productively to support our mission to take a targeted approach to tackling volume crime and bolster our specialist tactics to disrupt the criminal gangs who fuel anti-social behaviour, robbery and theft.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Campaign group Liberty&#8217;s policy and campaigns officer Charlie Whelton said increasing LFR use was &#8220;incredibly concerning&#8221; given the lack of regulation for the technology.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAny tech which has the potential to infringe on our rights in the way scanning and identifying millions of people does needs to have robust safeguards around its use, including ensuring that proper independent oversight is in place,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe government must legislate now to regulate this technology, protect people\u2019s rights, and make sure that the law on facial recognition does not get outpaced by the use.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In July 2025, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/366627654\/UK-to-create-governance-framework-for-police-facial-recognition\">home secretary Yvette Cooper confirmed<\/a> for the first time that the UK government will seek to regulate police facial recognition by creating \u201ca proper, clear governance framework\u201d, citing police reticence to deploy systems without adequate rules in place. However, she declined to say if any new framework will be statutory.<\/p>\n<section data-menu-title=\"Ongoing concerns\">\n<h2><i data-icon=\"1\"><\/i>Ongoing concerns<\/h2>\n<p>While the Met maintains that its deployments are intelligence-led and focus exclusively on locating individuals wanted for serious crimes, senior officers previously admitted to a Lords committee in December 2023 that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/366563318\/Police-defend-facial-recognition-target-selection-to-Lords\">the force selects images for its watchlist based on crime categories attached to people\u2019s photos<\/a>, rather than a context-specific assessment of the threat presented by a given individual.<\/p>\n<p>This includes those wanted for non-serious crimes such as shoplifting or traffic offences.<\/p>\n<p>Academic Karen Yeung, an interdisciplinary professorial fellow in law, ethics and informatics at Birmingham Law School, challenged the proportionality and necessity of this approach during the same Lords session, claiming the coercive power of the state means police must be able to justify each entry to the watchlists based on the specific circumstances involved, rather than their blanket inclusion via \u201ccrime types\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Critics have also raised concerns about the Met\u2019s disproportionate use of LFR, in terms of watchlist sizes, faces scanned, and impacts on certain communities.<\/p>\n<p>Civil liberties group Big Brother Watch, for example, has repeatedly highlighted how the size of the Met\u2019s LFR watchlist \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.met.police.uk\/SysSiteAssets\/media\/downloads\/force-content\/met\/advice\/lfr\/deployment-records\/lfr-deployment-grid.pdf\">which is now routinely exceeding 15,000 faces<\/a> \u2013 indicates the deployments are not intelligence-led or targeted.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/252513015\/Met-police-deploy-facial-recognition-in-Westminster\">Commenting in the wake of a February 2022 LFR deployment in Westminster,<\/a> where the watchlist contained 9,756 images, Big Brother Watch director Silkie Carlo told Computer Weekly, \u201cThat\u2019s not a targeted and specified deployment because of a pressing need \u2013 it\u2019s a catch net.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>According to data gathered by Green Party London Assembly member Zo\u00eb Garbett, over half of the Met\u2019s 180 LFR deployments that took place during 2024 were also in areas where the proportion of Black residents is higher than the city\u2019s average, including Lewisham and Haringey.<\/p>\n<p>While Black people comprise 13.5% of London\u2019s total population, the proportion is much higher in the Met\u2019s deployment areas, with Black people making up 36% of the Haringey population, 34% of the Lewisham population, and 40.1% of the Croydon population, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/366622320\/Met-Police-to-deploy-permanent-facial-recognition-tech-in-Croydon\">where the Met is also planning to deploy permanent LFR cameras<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Garbett added that while nearly two million people in total had their faces scanned across the Met\u2019s 2024 deployments, only 804 arrests were made \u2013 a rate of just 0.04%.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/news.met.police.uk\/news\/arrest-landmark-for-met-officers-using-live-facial-recognition-499089\">Met said in July this year<\/a> that since the start of 2024, more than 1,000 arrests have been made using LFR, 773 of which led to the individual being charged or cautioned.<\/p>\n<p>Similarly, while the Met claims its use of the technology is supported by the majority of the public, there have been instances where it has deployed LFR despite public opposition.<\/p>\n<p>In December 2024, for example, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/366616894\/Met-Police-challenged-on-claim-LFR-supported-by-majority-of-Lewisham-residents\">Computer Weekly revealed<\/a> that, contrary to the force\u2019s claim its LFR deployments in Lewisham are supported by the majority of residents and local councillors, there was minimal direct consultation with residents, while councillors clearly continued to express concerns about it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat people support is safer streets and improved equity and community cohesion,\u201d Green Lewisham councillor\u00a0Hau-Yu Tam told Computer Weekly at the time. \u201cThey don\u2019t necessarily support live facial recognition, which they\u2019re not given the full rundown of, or they\u2019re given very misleading information about.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In January 2023, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/252529364\/Newham-Council-rejects-use-of-live-facial-recognition-tech-by-police\">Newham Council also unanimously passed a motion to suspend the use of LFR throughout the borough<\/a>\u00a0until biometric and anti-discrimination safeguards are in place.<\/p>\n<p>While the motion highlighted the potential of LFR to \u201cexacerbate racist outcomes in policing\u201d \u2013 particularly in Newham,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk\/uk-population-by-ethnicity\/national-and-regional-populations\/regional-ethnic-diversity\/latest\">the most ethnically diverse of all local authorities in England and Wales<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 both the Met and the Home Office said that they would press forward with the deployments anyway.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"DigDeeperSplash\">\n<h4>\n\t\t\t<i data-icon=\"m\"><\/i>Read more on Privacy and data protection<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><a id=\"DigDeeperItem-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/366624841\/UK-biometric-surveillance-exists-in-legal-grey-area\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/German\/article\/facial-recognition-ID-2-adobe_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/German\/article\/facial-recognition-ID-2-adobe_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg 960w,https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/German\/article\/facial-recognition-ID-2-adobe.jpg 1280w\" alt ><\/p>\n<h5>UK biometric surveillance exists in \u2018legal grey area\u2019<\/h5>\n<div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/rms\/computerweekly\/Sebastian-Klovig-Skelton-CW-contributor.jpg\" alt=\"SebastianKlovig Skelton\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p><span>By: <span>Sebastian\u00a0Klovig Skelton<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a id=\"DigDeeperItem-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/366624473\/Essex-Police-disclose-incoherent-facial-recognition-assessment\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/HeroImages\/surveillance-CCTV-facial-recognition-Gorodenkoff-adobe_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/HeroImages\/surveillance-CCTV-facial-recognition-Gorodenkoff-adobe_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg 960w,https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/HeroImages\/surveillance-CCTV-facial-recognition-Gorodenkoff-adobe.jpg 1280w\" alt ><\/p>\n<h5>Essex Police discloses \u2018incoherent\u2019 facial recognition assessment<\/h5>\n<div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/rms\/computerweekly\/Sebastian-Klovig-Skelton-CW-contributor.jpg\" alt=\"SebastianKlovig Skelton\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p><span>By: <span>Sebastian\u00a0Klovig Skelton<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a id=\"DigDeeperItem-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/366622320\/Met-Police-to-deploy-permanent-facial-recognition-tech-in-Croydon\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/HeroImages\/security-cctv-surveillance-cameras-Brian-Jackson-adobe_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/HeroImages\/security-cctv-surveillance-cameras-Brian-Jackson-adobe_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg 960w,https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/HeroImages\/security-cctv-surveillance-cameras-Brian-Jackson-adobe.jpg 1280w\" alt ><\/p>\n<h5>Met Police to deploy permanent facial recognition tech in Croydon<\/h5>\n<div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/rms\/computerweekly\/Sebastian-Klovig-Skelton-CW-contributor.jpg\" alt=\"SebastianKlovig Skelton\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p><span>By: <span>Sebastian\u00a0Klovig Skelton<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a id=\"DigDeeperItem-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/366616894\/Met-Police-challenged-on-claim-LFR-supported-by-majority-of-Lewisham-residents\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/Hero Images\/Met-Police-London-adobe_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/Hero%20Images\/Met-Police-London-adobe_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg 960w,https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/Hero%20Images\/Met-Police-London-adobe.jpeg 1280w\" alt ><\/p>\n<h5>Met Police challenged on claim LFR supported by \u2018majority of Lewisham residents\u2019<\/h5>\n<div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/rms\/computerweekly\/Sebastian-Klovig-Skelton-CW-contributor.jpg\" alt=\"SebastianKlovig Skelton\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p><span>By: <span>Sebastian\u00a0Klovig Skelton<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/366628280\/Met-Police-to-double-facial-recognition-use-amid-budget-cuts\" class=\"button purchase\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Read More<\/a><br \/>\n Diego Menjivar<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The UK\u2019s largest police force is massively expanding its use of live facial recognition technology as it prepares to lose 1,700 officers and staff By Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data &amp; ethics editor Published: 01 Aug 2025 18:30 The Metropolitan Police will more than double its number of live facial recognition (LFR) deployments to cover the<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":864927,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1212,294,46],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-864926","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-double","8":"category-police","9":"category-technology"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/864926","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=864926"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/864926\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/864927"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=864926"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=864926"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=864926"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}