Live Facial Recognition leads to three arrests near Greenwich O2 Arena

Live facial recognition cameras were used to arrest six people on Wednesday.

The Met made the arrests near the O2 Arena in Greenwich and in Tower Hamlets.

Those arrested included two people who breached the terms of their sexual harm prevention order (SHPO). 

Other arrests include a man wanted for grievous bodily harm, another for assault of a police officer and assault.

Of the six arrests, three were from Greenwich and three were from the Tower Hamlets area.

Superintendent Rav Pathania, who leads policing in Greenwich, said: “We work closely with the O2 Arena to prevent and deter crime in the local area. 

From the conversations I’ve had with businesses, they supported this deployment. 

“This technology is a great tactic which results in making Greenwich safer by removing serious offenders from the streets.”

Police are alerted when the technology suggests a person walking through a zone of recognition is “similar” to a person on a “bespoke watchlist”.

A spokesman from the Met said: “If an alert is made this does not automatically mean an arrest, it could mean officers will ensure that a person is complying with their conditions as set out by a court.”

The force said the technology is used for “precision policing” but it has been described by campaign group Big Brother Watch as “Orwellian”.

More information about this technology, including details of previous deployments can be found at  https://www.met.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/fr/facial-recognition-technology/

Pictured top: A camera being used during trials at Scotland Yard for the new facial recognition system (Picture: PA)