More than 100 wanted individuals have been arrested during the first three months of a Live Facial Recognition pilot in Croydon, according to figures released by the Metropolitan Police. The pilot began in October and represents a new operational approach for the technology in London.
The Live Facial Recognition pilot in Croydon is the first time cameras have been mounted on existing street infrastructure, including lamp posts, rather than deployed from police vans. This change has allowed officers to carry out deployments more flexibly and with fewer resources on site.
Police say the revised setup has improved efficiency. When the system is active, an arrest has been made on average every 34 minutes. The average time taken to locate wanted individuals has also reduced by more than 50 percent compared with van based deployments.
A third of those arrested through the Live Facial Recognition pilot in Croydon were wanted for offences linked to violence against women and girls, including sexual assault and strangulation. Other arrests involved offences such as burglary, recall to prison, possession of an offensive weapon and kidnap.
New data from the Met indicates crime in Fairfield Ward, Croydon fell by 12 percent during the pilot period. This includes reductions in retail crime, violent crime and sexual offences.
Among those arrested was a 36 year old woman who had been unlawfully at large for more than 20 years after failing to appear in court for an assault in 2004. Officers also detained a 37 year old registered sex offender found to be in breach of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order by possessing an unregistered mobile phone and accessing social media. A 27 year old man wanted on suspicion of kidnap was also arrested.
Lindsey Chiswick, the Met and national lead for live facial recognition, said: “The increase in LFR deployments across crime hotspots in London is driven by its proven impact and success — with more than 1,700 dangerous offenders taken off London’s streets since the start of 2024, including those wanted for rape and child abuse.
“This is why we are trialling a new and innovative pilot in Croydon. It allows us to explore a different way of using facial recognition by operating it remotely and more efficiently.
“The amount of arrests we have made in just 13 deployments shows the technology is already making an impact and helping to make Croydon safer. Public support remains strong, with 85% of Londoners backing the use of LFR to keep them safe.”
Police report that three quarters of those arrested through the Live Facial Recognition pilot in Croydon live in the borough. The Met says this demonstrates how the technology is being used to target areas with higher crime rates and focus resources locally.
Case studies released alongside the figures include the arrest of Nilton Darame, 25, of Loughborough Street, Lambeth, who was identified by static cameras on Tuesday, 7 October 2025. He was found to be in breach of tagging conditions linked to an intentional strangulation and two counts of assault on an emergency worker committed on Monday, 8 September 2025. He was later sentenced at Croydon Crown Court on Thursday, 8 January to 18 months’ imprisonment.
At a further static deployment on Friday, 21 November 2025, officers arrested Kastriot Krrashi, 35, of Dingwall Road, Croydon, who was wanted on suspicion of breaching conditions as a registered sex offender. He is due to appear at Wood Green Crown Court on Friday, 23 January for sentencing.
Executive Mayor of Croydon, Jason Perry, said: “Croydon Council has worked closely with the Metropolitan Police to support the trial of Live Facial Recognition (LFR) in our town centre to help identify suspects on police watchlists.
“The pilot has led to a significant number of arrests, including individuals suspected of serious offences and violence against women and girls, demonstrating that this pioneering technology is helping to make our streets safer.
“I look forward to continuing to work with the Met Police to tackle crime, as part of our zero-tolerance approach to fixing the ‘broken windows’, restoring pride in our borough and making Croydon a safer place for all our residents.”
The Live Facial Recognition pilot in Croydon operates at two fixed locations at the north and south ends of the high street. Camera feeds are monitored remotely, while specialist officers and neighbourhood teams remain present on the ground to engage with the public and respond to alerts.
Each deployment uses an intelligence led watchlist created no more than 24 hours in advance and deleted immediately after use, in line with policy. Cameras are only activated when officers are present.
Since the start of 2024, Live Facial Recognition deployments in Croydon have resulted in 249 arrests, with 193 of those individuals charged or cautioned. The pilot will be formally evaluated in the coming months, and there are currently no plans to extend it to other areas. Engagement sessions with residents and councillors are continuing to explain how the technology works and the safeguards in place.
