Live Facial Recognition Vans Help Police Make Arrests in Southampton City Centre

Southampton police have made three arrests in the city centre following the deployment of live facial recognition (LFR) vans alongside officers carrying out Operation Predict patrols.

The arrests come during the second deployment of the technology, aimed at tackling business crime and anti-social behaviour in the city.

Arrests Made Using LFR Technology
Two people were arrested using the live facial recognition system and later charged, due to appear at Southampton Magistrates Court today (10 February).
• Karis McGeorge, 39, of no fixed abode, has been charged with six counts of shoplifting from stores in Southampton between September 2025 and January 2026. She has also been charged with four counts of breaching a criminal behaviour order.
• Paul Davis, 47, of Hill Lane, Southampton, has been charged with 12 counts of shoplifting from a store in Southampton city centre in November 2025.

Sgt Martin Smith, from the Live Facial Recognition Team, said:

“These two arrests highlight exactly why the use of this technology is so important when it comes to tackling the crime that matters most to our communities. Working alongside our local colleagues, we can target persistent offenders who are bringing misery to local businesses and helping to make the area safer for everyone.

“We’ve also had some great conversations with people as they walk past, asking us about how the technology works and helping to myth-bust any concerns they may have had.

“There are still some people who believe the technology is used to permanently capture data of all those walking past, which is simply not true and we’re more than happy to show people that if you are not on the list of suspects we are looking for, your biometric data is deleted immediately.

“We’ve found that once we get a chance to explain how it all works and show people the technology in action, most come away with a better understanding of how this can really help to reduce crime in their area.”

Additional Arrest
During the deployment, local officers also arrested a 60-year-old man on suspicion of stealing £500 worth of items from HMV on 8 February. Mark McDermott, of Portswood Road, has been charged with one count of theft and is due to appear at Southampton Magistrates Court on 7 May.

Police Support for Operation Predict
Chief Inspector Charlie Ilderton, deputy district commander for Southampton, added:

“This kind of activity is key to supporting Operation Predict, which is our work in partnership with the council and Go! Southampton to make the city centre a safer and more welcoming place for all to come to.

“This and some excellent police work by our city centre unit, meant we concluded the day with three people heading to court.

“But, this work doesn’t only happen during days like this, and our team are out, on patrol and tackling persistent offenders. If you do have any information which would assist them, or help tailor our patrols then please do let us know.”