A six-month trial of live facial recognition (LFR) technology in London's railway stations concluded with one false match against a watchlist of suspects and no arrests directly resulting from LFR alerts. The trial, conducted by the British Transport Police (BTP) between February and July this year, cost over £320,000 and involved nearly 100 hours of police officer time.
During the trial, more than half a million faces were scanned in some of the capital's busiest transport hubs. The technology aimed to identify offenders and individuals breaching court orders. A freedom of information document revealed that equipment hire and police staffing for 18 deployments cost the taxpayer £320,786.
Last month, BTP announced an extension of the trial for a further four months, expanding its use to include London Underground stations. Transport for London stated its support for the extension, indicating the technology would target individuals on police watchlists at key stations to address violence against women and girls.