Thames Valley Police Postpone Facial Recognition Deployments in Witney

Thames Valley Police postponed the deployment of live facial recognition (LFR) technology in Witney Market Square, originally scheduled for July 10, 2026, citing resource pressures. Despite the delay, the force stated it intends to use the technology in the town in the future, pointing to a 2025 survey where 96 percent of residents expressed support for emerging technology.

Andy Bailey, a Witney town councillor and former mayor, responded by calling for an immediate moratorium on LFR deployments. Bailey argued that the technology is discriminatory, flawed, and violates the British principle of policing by consent, claiming the systems exhibit racial and gender bias.

Thames Valley Police defended the system's integrity, noting that the National Physical Laboratory tested the LFR technology and concluded it is highly accurate with no demographic bias. The force further stated that it maintains rigorous legal mandates and impact assessments available to the public.