Facial recognition cameras are among a range of crime-cutting measures being used by the Metropolitan Police at this year’s Notting Hill Carnival.
They will be placed on the approach to and from the west London event, Europe’s biggest street party, on the August Bank Holiday weekend, in an effort to spot suspects before the streets get crowded.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Matt Ward, the police commander for this year’s event, said “there has been a tiny minority of individuals intent on causing serious harm to others” and the cameras, which will be outside the carnival’s boundaries, may also help revellers get home safely.
A link-up with the Elba Hope Foundation, the youth organisation led by actor Idris Elba and his wife Sabrina, aimed at helping tackle knife crime is among the measures being introduced.
Around 7,000 officers and staff will be deployed each day over the carnival weekend.
Live facial recognition (LFR) cameras will be used by police at the carnival to search for people who are marked as being wanted on the Police National Computer.
They will also be used to spot those who are shown as missing – including young people who may also be at risk of either criminal or sexual exploitation – and people who have sexual harm prevention orders against them because of the risk they pose, particularly to women and girls.
So far in 2025 there have been 215 arrests from 111 deployments of LFR cameras, which capture live footage of people passing by and compare their faces against a watchlist of wanted offenders.
The system generates an alert if a match is detected, prompting an officer to review it and decide if they need to speak to the individual.
Further checks, such as reviewing court orders or other relevant information, are also carried out to see if the person is a suspect.
The force said that if a member of the public walks past an LFR camera and is not wanted by the police, their biometrics are immediately and permanently deleted.
Officers are also working with the Crimestoppers charity as part of a plan to keep the carnival free from knife crime, serious violence and violence against women and girls.
The focus will be on deterring or preventing people who pose the greatest threat to public safety and the security of the event, the force said.
The police said they will be using stop and search powers to prevent knives and other deadly weapons being carried at carnival.
It means that intelligence on violent gangs who are planning to attend the carnival is being shared with forces across the country and banning orders are being sought against those who have a history of violence or sexual offending at the event.
A number of “pre-emptive intelligence-led arrests and searches” are being used against suspects believed to be in possession of weapons or involved in the supply of drugs.
There were 160 such arrests before last year’s carnival prior to the event for offences including possession of firearms, drugs supply, rape and other serious sexual assaults.
Visitors may also have to go through screening arches which are being set up at some of the busiest entry points.
Mr Ward said: “Regrettably, amongst the millions of carnivalists who have attended over many years there has been a tiny minority of individuals intent on causing serious harm to others, including violent crime and sexual offences.
“Their actions stand in stark contrast to the traditions and values of Carnival and I welcome those voices in the community who have stood up to condemn violence and serious criminality at the event.
“I fully support the organisers’ recent announcement of a new, innovative partnership with the Elba Hope Foundation to divert young people away from crime and particularly knife crime.”
He said that the “carnival’s growing popularity and size creates unique challenges” and the priority for police officers and staff working across the long weekend will be to keep people safe, including “preventing serious violence, such as knife crime and violence against women and girls”.
The Met also appealed for anyone with information about groups or individuals intending to engage in violence at this year’s Notting Hill Carnival to come forward.
