Facial recognition alerts to prevent crime in UK shops hit a record 10,000 every week
A facial recognition system used by UK retailers to prevent crime has recorded its highest monthly total of suspect alerts ever, its operators have reported.
The figures are a further stark warning that retailers and their employees are facing unprecedented levels of criminal activity, violence and abusive behaviour, according to crime prevention company Facewatch.
In July 2025, the company sent 43,602 alerts to subscriber retail stores - the equivalent of more than 10,000 suspects flagged every week for the first time. This is a 134.8% increase compared to July 2024 (18,564).
Over the 12 months to 31 July 2025, Facewatch said it recorded 407,771 alerts in total, with current live data already showing the rising trend continuing into this month.
An alert is triggered when a Suspect of Interest (SOI) on a retailer’s watchlist is recognised by the live facial recognition system at the point of entry in a store.
The alerts, which are sent to devices carried by staff and can also trigger an audible sound in store, enable proportionate and non-confrontational action to be taken to prevent criminal activity before it happens.
Nick Fisher, CEO of Facewatch, the UK’s leading facial recognition crime-prevention system for retailers, said: “July’s record numbers are a further stark warning that retailers and their employees are facing unprecedented levels of criminal activity, including violent and aggressive behaviour.
"While this trend is extremely concerning, each suspect alert we send to our retail subscribers warns store staff immediately a suspect enters their premises, enabling them to take preventative action.
"A trend we have observed is criminals beginning to look for what they see as easy targets and now our nation's charity shops and their volunteer staff are experiencing rising abuse and theft."
Criminals widening their scope
Fertility Foundation Founder and CEO Tone Jarvis-Mack revealed earlier this year how he had been the victim of a violent attack in his charity shop, which has also experienced a rise in theft highlighting that this threat is no longer confined to mainstream retail stores.
In response, he has become one of the first in the charity sector to install the Facewatch system, which is legally compliant, targeted and proportional facial recognition system designed specifically for retailers.
“It gives us peace of mind,” said Mr Jarvis-Mack. “We’ve taken back control. We’re not trying to catch people, we want to prevent crime from happening in the first place.”
Protecting shopworkers’ rights
According to the British Retail Consortium, UK retail staff now face more than 2,000 incidents of violence and abuse every day, including threats with knives and other weapons.
Mr Fisher added: "Critics of facial recognition often talk about people's rights, but shopworkers have rights too - the right to go to work without facing threats, intimidation, or violence. Every alert represents a theft deterred or an employee spared from abuse.
"Facewatch is a lawful, proportionate, and effective tool that helps retailers to keep their people safe, reassure customers, and protect their businesses from an escalating national crisis."
Iceland Foods - "It's not a victimless crime."
Writing in this weekend's Sunday Times, Richard Walker, Executive Chairman of Iceland Foods, which is currently trialling Facewatch's technology, highlighted the rise in retail crime and violent abuse. He wrote: "The human cost is harder to put into numbers - staff who are punched, spat at, threatened; young workers who have knives pulled on them.
"The lasting impact on morale, recruitment, and mental health is enormous. It's not a victimless crime; the victims are the people on the frontline and the customers who end up paying the higher prices because of it."
