British police forces made 1,317 arrests after scanning approximately 9.25 million faces using live facial recognition (LFR) technology across 369 separate operations in England and Wales.
The surveillance crackdown resulted in the detention of around 450 suspected violent offenders.
Rapid Expansion of Deployments
Deployments of the artificial intelligence technology accelerated sharply, rising from 63 operations in 2023 to 246 in 2024 and 369 in 2025.
Fourteen of the nation's 45 territorial police forces utilized the system, which scanned an average of 78 faces per minute from surveillance vans stationed at high-density public areas and major events.
The Metropolitan Police conducted the majority of the operations, deploying LFR technology 231 times to scan 4.2 million faces and detain 1,133 individuals wanted by courts or suspected of crimes.
Following these results, the British government announced plans in January to expand the surveillance fleet fivefold, increasing the number of mobile vans from 10 to 50 nationwide.
Supporters and Privacy Protections
Supporters of the technology emphasize its precision in identifying suspects accused of serious crimes while protecting public safety.
Former Scotland Yard Detective Peter Bleksley praised early adopting forces for advancing operational deployments despite the lack of direct parliamentary legislation.
He highlighted the privacy protections built into the scanning system during crowd monitoring.
Bleksley added that unmatched data is discarded instantly rather than stored permanently.
Law enforcement officials also emphasize that human oversight remains integral to every LFR deployment.
National Police Chiefs' Council spokeswoman said there are checks and balances to ensure responsible, accurate, and fair use, including review of all potential matches by trained operators.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson underscored the system's impact on apprehending high-risk suspects, including those who harm women and girls.
Regional operations have expanded to local police forces, including Hampshire and Essex, where officers utilize custom watchlists to target priority offenders and locate missing persons.
Hampshire Police noted that watchlists are tailored specifically for each local deployment area.
Local police leadership noted the technology enhances operational efficiency for frontline officers.
Donna Jones, Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, said rapid identifications allow police to focus resources on immediate community needs.
Technology providers working alongside forces like Essex Police highlight the operational confidence the systems afford frontline teams.
Rob Watts, President of Corsight AI, said technology should help officers make better decisions, not create more work.
Former surveillance regulators stress that operational governance is key to maintaining public trust.
Tony Porter OBE QPM LLB, Chief Privacy Officer at Corsight AI and former UK Surveillance Camera Commissioner, said deploying LFR responsibly, transparently, and within the legal framework protects the public.
Despite officer endorsements, privacy campaigners and civil rights organizations continue to voice strong opposition to widespread public facial scanning.
Akiko Hart, Director of Liberty, expressed concern over mass deployments relative to the actual proportion of arrests made.
Rights groups further criticize the absence of primary legislation and point to recorded instances of misidentification.
Jasleen Chaggar, Senior Legal and Policy Officer at Big Brother Watch, said with more than a dozen innocent people wrongly identified, everyone has something to fear from this Orwellian tech.
Out of 2,800 nationwide LFR alerts recorded last year, police forces logged 18 total misidentifications, with no false matches resulting in an arrest.
