Police forces across England and Wales are reporting significant success with Live Facial Recognition (LFR) technology, with new data revealing a striking proportion of arrests involve registered sex offenders. The controversial crime-fighting tool has sparked both praise for its effectiveness and concern from privacy campaigners as the government prepares for a major national expansion.
Manchester Operation Yields Dramatic Results
Greater Manchester Police has provided the most detailed statistics yet on LFR deployment, revealing that since beginning operations in October 2025, the technology has facilitated forty arrests during twenty-three separate deployments. Perhaps most notably, authorities confirm that one in five of those detained were registered sex offenders, highlighting the system's particular effectiveness against this category of criminal.
The mobile camera units, mounted on specially adapted police vans, utilise sophisticated biometric scanning to create unique "faceprints" from individuals in crowds. These are instantly cross-referenced against watchlists of wanted offenders, triggering immediate alerts to nearby officers when potential matches are identified.
Strategic Deployments Across the City
GMP has employed the technology in diverse settings, from busy city centre locations like Piccadilly Gardens to strategic points at Manchester Airport. In a landmark move for football policing, the cameras were deployed outside Old Trafford stadium during the recent Manchester derby between United and City, marking their first use at a major sporting event by the force.
This varied deployment strategy has yielded multiple high-profile arrests. In one operation, forty-three-year-old John Thompson from Manchester was apprehended in Piccadilly Gardens and subsequently charged with thirty-six separate offences, including thirty-five breaches of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. He remains in custody awaiting trial at Manchester Crown Court.
Home Secretary Announces National Expansion
The Manchester results emerge as Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood this week unveiled plans for what she termed a "once-in-a-generation" policing shake-up, which includes dramatically expanding LFR availability nationwide. The programme will see the number of camera vans increase from ten to fifty, making the technology accessible to all police forces across England and Wales.
Defending the policy against criticism from civil liberties groups, Mahmood told LBC radio that "there is no true liberty if people are too scared of crime to leave their homes." She emphasised her belief that "new technology has the ability to help us go after criminals and bring more people to justice," while acknowledging it must be used "in a way that is in line with our values."
Broader Arrest Patterns Beyond Sex Offences
While the sex offender statistics are particularly striking, GMP reports the LFR system has facilitated arrests for a wide range of offences. These include a man apprehended for stalking after failing to answer police bail, another suspected of possessing indecent images, and individuals wanted for domestic offences dating back to September 2024.
At Manchester Airport, a suspect was recently arrested on suspicion of possession of drugs with intent to supply. Other operational successes cited by police include the arrest of a suspect wanted since May 2025 for firearms offences and the safeguarding of a vulnerable man who had left an NHS facility.
Police Praise Technology's Safeguarding Potential
Sergeant Ryan Magee from GMP's Sexual Offenders Management Unit offered strong endorsement of the technology, stating: "The introduction of Live Facial Recognition technology has seen significant improvements in public protection and proactive policing." He described LFR as "an invaluable safeguarding asset" that enables "real time identification, allowing early intervention and preventing potential harm before it occurs."
Magee highlighted the collaborative approach behind the deployments, involving dedicated LFR officers working alongside the Sexual Offenders Management Unit Intelligence Team, with additional support from Project Servator, Tactical Aid Units, and neighbourhood policing teams. "Together we have established a co-ordinated and effective approach to identifying and disrupting high risk sexual offenders," he added.
Metropolitan Police Trials Show Similar Promise
The Manchester results align with findings from other trial areas. A recent Metropolitan Police pilot involving a lamppost-mounted camera in Croydon resulted in an arrest approximately every thirty-four minutes on average, demonstrating the technology's efficiency in urban environments.
These systems have been supplied to police forces by the Home Office as part of coordinated nationwide trials, with data now being used to justify the substantial expansion announced this week. The government appears convinced that the crime-fighting benefits outweigh the privacy concerns raised by campaigners, setting the stage for significantly increased public surveillance across the country.
As Sergeant Magee concluded: "In a relatively short space of time, LFR activity has resulted in a substantial number of intelligence-led stops and arrests. Targeted operations have significantly enhanced the force’s ability to intercept dangerous individuals, including those seeking to travel with the intent to commit offences." Police indicate they will continue developing their use of the technology in future operations as part of ongoing efforts to enhance public protection.
