A Green Party councillor in Lewisham has faced strong criticism for sharing the location of a Metropolitan Police van utilizing Live Facial Recognition (LFR) technology. Hau-Yu Tam, cabinet member for sanctuary and healing at Lewisham Council, posted a map on her social media accounts on Tuesday showing the van's precise position in Deptford. The post included a warning to "avoid the area if you can and warn others - if you can see the van, the cameras can see you."
The technology employs mobile van-based CCTV cameras and artificial intelligence to compare faces of passers-by with a watchlist of individuals wanted for crimes, court appearances, or breaches of orders related to stalking and violence against women and girls. The post shared by Tam was originally created by Lewisham Anti-Raids, a group focused on resistance to immigration raids.
Tam defended her actions, stating that people may have various reasons for not wanting their faces scanned and that policing relies on consent. She also noted concerns about the technology's potential racial bias and limited legislation governing its use, particularly in diverse areas like Lewisham.
However, her post drew sharp rebukes from political figures and security experts. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp accused Tam of aiding criminals, stating, "Lewisham deserves a council more interested in catching criminals than protecting them." He added that LFR has the potential to revolutionize policing, similar to DNA technology, in identifying criminals in crowds.
Martin Gallagher, a former police superintendent and counter-terrorism expert, described Tam's actions as "shameful," asserting that elected officials have a duty to uphold law and order. He argued that the cameras are intended to detect serious criminals, and Tam's post effectively assisted those wanted for serious offenses in evading arrest.
Live Facial Recognition technology was first trialed in the UK in 2015 and has since been adopted by numerous police forces. Met Police supervisor Sergeant Kevin Brown reported that LFR usage led to the arrest of 574 wanted individuals in 2024, a number that increased to 1,135 last year and is already around 900 this year. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has announced plans to expand the number of LFR mobile vans to 50 nationwide.
Civil liberties campaigners, such as Charlie Whelton from Liberty, have expressed concerns that LFR could erode privacy rights, comparing the experience of passing such a camera to showing identification at a checkpoint. The Metropolitan Police, however, highlighted that the technology has significantly contributed to arrests, with over 2,100 arrests since the start of 2024, 24 percent of which were related to violence against women and girls, leading to over 1,400 charges or cautions, including more than 100 sex offenders.
This incident is not the first time Tam has been involved in controversy. She previously faced criticism for using the racial slur "coconuts" in a deleted social media post, and has retweeted posts describing Zionism as "pure evil" and "the Nazism of our time."