New research from the Police Foundation published today synthesises findings from three London focus groups in June 2026, on the use of technology by the Metropolitan Police Service. Two broad discussion areas were covered:
- General perceptions of policing in London.
- Perceptions of policing technologies, including live facial recognition (LFR), ANPR, drones, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and CCTV.
Overall, the discussions showed a public that is often frustrated with day-to-day policing, but not anti-police in principle. Participants broadly wanted the police to succeed and most supported greater use of technology, but only if it was seen to be effective, proportionate and accountable.
See also polling by Public First (conducted on behalf of the Police Foundation) of over a thousand Londoners, showing attitudes to policing, crime and the police use of technology and AI.