Last week, we published our latest policing policy paper: Live Facial Recognition: The Case for Coordinated National Expansion. Drawing on exclusive analysis of a decade of LFR deployment data, it made the case for this policing technology and why a national coordination capability is now essential.
Leapwise were delighted that the Met Commissioner agreed to provide the foreword to the paper, which was covered in Policing Insight and Police Professional.
This ‘external voices’ blog reprints that foreword, sharing Sir Mark’s views on why LFR really can make a difference.
Why Live Facial Recognition is Game-Changing and a National Model of Coordination is Needed – Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley’s View
For too long, policing has been held back by outdated technology, cumbersome processes, and unnecessary bureaucracy. The Metropolitan Police Service is changing that, embracing a new, invigorated approach to data and technology that is transforming how we protect Londoners.
Our investment in cutting-edge technology is making us more capable, more productive, and more focused. Nowhere is this more evident than in our pioneering use of Live Facial Recognition (LFR). Put simply, it’s a game-changer. And it’s one that is helping us bear down on crime in the capital.
LFR has revolutionised hotspot policing, allowing us to target our resources with unprecedented precision. We can now locate wanted individuals – including those with court-imposed conditions, such as sex offenders or stalkers – more quickly and effectively than ever before.
The technology works by scanning faces in public spaces against a pre-defined watchlist, alerting officers when there is a potential match. Crucially, every alert is subject to human judgement, ensuring that engagement is always appropriate and proportionate.
The results so far
The results speak for themselves. Since the start of 2024, we have arrested over 1,300 people using LFR, including more than 100 registered sex offenders found in breach of their conditions.
At the 2025 Notting Hill Carnival alone, LFR enabled 61 arrests – including 16 for serious violence and 13 for violence against women and girls – helping us deliver one of the safest Carnivals in recent years. These outcomes are not just numbers; they represent safer communities and greater public confidence.
Importantly, the technology has evolved. Early deployments, such as those at Notting Hill Carnival in 2016 and 2017, were marked by high error rates and limited effectiveness. Today, independent testing by the National Physical Laboratory confirms that our algorithm is accurate and we understand how to use the technology in a non-discriminatory way. Our operational practices are governed by strict safeguards and transparency. We publish detailed deployment data, and our approach is subject to ongoing scrutiny and improvement.
Public support
Public support for LFR is strong: 85% of Londoners back its use to tackle crime and target dangerous offenders. Over the Notting Hill Carnival weekend, I spent time with officers on an LFR deployment. Every officer I spoke to was energised by the tool’s potential, and our communities are seeing the benefits.
But as LFR is rolled out to more forces across England and Wales, we must ensure that its use is consistent and effective everywhere. That means moving beyond local innovation to a national model of coordination. This is why I support police reform that enables the proper, once-and-for-all rollout of technology like LFR.
Reform is not just about new tools. It is about building the infrastructure, clarity, and professional standards that allow technology to strengthen, magnify, and enable what our determined, compassionate, and often heroic officers do for our communities. Technology gives officers more time and better situational awareness, so they can do what only humans can do: listen, support, prevent crime, and bring offenders to justice.