Key points
- The UK policing inspectorate made 16 recommendations on how forces use retrospective facial recognition.
- Forces ran 291,341 searches in the year to March 31, 2026, and 74 percent returned a match.
- Some custody images that should have been deleted were still searchable, the inspectorate said.
- It wants clearer national standards and a stronger statutory framework.
England and Wales police inspectors said oversight of retrospective facial recognition must improve. The inspectorate, HMICFRS, published its findings on November 12, 2026. It made 16 recommendations aimed at police forces and the National Crime Agency (NCA).
Retrospective facial recognition compares an image from a crime scene or camera against a police database after the event. It differs from live facial recognition, which scans faces in real time. The Home Secretary commissioned the inspection in November 2025, according to ID Tech’s account of the report.
What the inspectors found
The report found that governance varies widely between forces. Some have established policies, while others rely on limited national guidance. ID Tech reported that four forces had no local guidance at all.
Forces ran 291,341 searches in the year ending March 31, 2026, and 74 percent returned at least one match, ID Tech reported from the report. Inspectors found that less experienced investigators did not always know a potential match must be corroborated. In a small number of cases, officers relied too heavily on results.
Custody images were another concern. Some images that should have been deleted under retention rules could still be searched. The inspectorate also said police have acted on algorithm bias since a 2024 National Physical Laboratory test, but more is needed.
What it recommends
The recommendations cover national and local governance, clear national standards, supervision of use, and better training. Deadlines include data protection impact assessments by June 30, 2027, and a College of Policing review of database user training by the same date. The National Police Chiefs’ Council is asked to consider limiting search access by the end of 2027.
Inspector of Constabulary Kathryn Stone said: “Police forces must be able to show that appropriate safeguards are in place.” She added that continued public support will depend on policing showing it uses the technology lawfully, proportionately and openly. The inspectorate described the technology as a valuable and proportionate tool when used appropriately.
Press coverage said the inspectorate wants a statutory code, possibly in the forthcoming Police Reform Bill, and for custody images to fall under the same framework as DNA and fingerprints. For background on how the technology works, see our guides to face recognition uses and CCTV face recognition.
Open questions
Will the government put a statutory code in the Police Reform Bill? Will forces delete old custody images in time? And how will the public judge a tool that finds a match in nearly three of four searches?
Sources
- HMICFRS news release on retrospective facial recognition
- HMICFRS report: How police forces and the National Crime Agency use retrospective facial recognition
- ID Tech, November 12, 2026
