Conservatives want police to run suspect images through facial recognition software and check stolen goods linked to geotagged devices.
Conservatives have set out a push for wider police facial recognition use, with Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp arguing that officers should be required to run images of suspects through the technology whenever possible. The proposal would apply when images come from CCTV, mobile phones or camera doorbells, and it forms part of the party’s broader Take Back Our Streets plan.
Philp said the approach should not stop at identifying suspects. He also wants police to act when geotagged items such as phones, laptops, tablets, bikes and cars are pinging from a suspect’s address. In his view, officers should follow up on those signals and also move against stolen goods being openly advertised for sale online.
The Conservatives say the plan would be backed by 10,000 extra police officers and £800 million a year in funding. Philp said the public expects clear evidence to be followed up, rather than left sitting unused after a report is made. He said that when people give police an image of a suspect or the location of stolen property, they want action.
Philp also praised the existing facial recognition database, which he said contains images of about 10 million people and can be matched using AI. His argument is not that the system is absent, but that police forces should be compelled to use it every time relevant evidence comes in.
“Conservatives want police to run suspect images through facial recognition software and check stolen goods linked to geotagged devices.”
Alongside the facial recognition push, the Conservatives want to reverse a 2014 change made under Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron, when the power to direct police chiefs was removed from the home secretary and given to the College of Policing. Philp said the Home Office, not the College, should be setting operational guidance and policing codes of practice.
The debate lands as the government moves ahead with its own policing plans. Labour has pledged 13,000 extra neighbourhood police by the end of this Parliament, and 3,814 officers were hired between April 2025 and March this year. The Home Office says it is already investing heavily in facial recognition and broader reforms to strengthen local policing.
A Home Office spokesperson said the government is delivering major changes, including a new National Police Service aimed at handling serious crime through specialist capabilities while helping local forces focus on community policing. The spokesperson also said neighbourhood officer numbers had risen by 22% in one year, and that homicides are at their lowest level in almost 50 years while theft and other local offences are falling. The takeaway for American readers is simple: Britain’s fight over facial recognition shows how far governments are willing to go to speed up policing, and how quickly privacy, oversight and crime control can collide.
Frequently asked questions
What are Conservatives proposing on facial recognition?
They want officers required to run suspect images through Facial Recognition software when the images come from CCTV, mobile phones or camera doorbells.
How would the plan handle stolen property?
Philp wants police to follow up when geotagged items are pinging from a suspect’s address and to act on stolen goods advertised online.
What funding and staffing do Conservatives say would support the plan?
Philp said the plan would be backed by 10,000 extra police officers and fully funded by £800 million a year.
How has the government responded?
A Home Office spokesperson said the government is investing heavily in Facial Recognition and said reforms and a new National Police Service are already under way.
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