Top Cop Cressida Dick Spills on How Tech Is Taking Down London’s Crime Wave
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick took to the stage at the Royal United Services Institute on Monday 24th February to reveal how cutting-edge technology is helping smash crime across London. From battling mopeds to cracking digital mysteries, Dick shines a light on how the Met is evolving for the 21st century.
Moped Crime Slashed Thanks to High-Tech and Hard-Hitting Tactics
Commissioner Dick opened with a shout-out to “Tony,” a sergeant on the Met’s Venice team. This crack unit has smashed moped-enabled crime from over 19,000 incidents in 2017 to just above 4,000 last year.
“We’ve created a hostile environment for moped robbers,” Tony said. “We layer out tactics and use the best tech we’ve got.”
That tech includes high-powered police motorbikes, DNA tagging spray, electronic pro-spikes, and ANPR-equipped laptops to track suspect vehicles. The team also calls in helicopters and uses CCTV and forensics to nail co-conspirators.
How Far We’ve Come: From Typewriters to Terabytes
Dick reflected on her early days patrolling London in 1983 armed with little more than a typewriter and a card index system — no DNA, no digital tracking. Now, the average London household packs ten data storage devices with thousands of data points each.
“Back in 2005, after 7/7, we seized about 400 digital exhibits, totalling four terabytes,” Dick said. “In 2018, a single terrorism investigation pulled in 97 terabytes of data from multiple scenes.”
Digital crime is booming. Around half of all crimes happen entirely online — from fraud to hacking to online grooming. Criminals exploit encrypted platforms, making investigations harder than ever.
Tackling Violent Crime: Tech and Teams in Action
Violent crime remains the Met’s top priority. The force has made big dents in stabbings, acid attacks, and firearms discharges — but the fight is far from over.
- London’s population is bigger, more diverse, and more complex — with 1.1 million commuters and 19 million tourists every year.
- The Met is growing again, planning to hit 33,000 officers by March 2021.
- More officers from diverse backgrounds are hitting the streets every month.
“An extra 6,000 officers would be a massive boost in combating violent crime and organised gangs,” Dick said.
Tech That Works – With Humans in the Driving Seat
While AI and digital tools are revolutionising policing, Dick stresses the irreplaceable role of human officers — empathy, judgement, and local knowledge can’t be coded.
“Technology will never replace human insight,” Dick quoted MI5’s Andrew Parker. “We’re talking about Augmented Intelligence — people and AI working together to solve crime better.”
The Met has embraced numerous tech advances:
- Body-worn cameras boosting trust and transparency
- Mobile fingerprint scanners speeding up suspect ID
- Machine translation and speech analytics tackling language barriers
- Virtual and augmented reality training to sharpen officer decisions
- AI-assisted recruitment and casework
Controversially, the Met uses Live Facial Recognition (LFR) technology — but Dick is clear:
- LFR does not store biometric data.
- Human officers make all final decisions, not machines.
- It targets serious criminals only and is proven free from ethnic bias.
- Transparency and public safety come first.
“LFR helped arrest eight serious offenders who’d likely gone free otherwise,” Dick said. “This tech helps keep Londoners safe without trampling privacy.”
Calling for Clear Laws and Public Backing
Commissioner Dick urged the government to pass smart laws defining how police can use emerging tech — clear, simple rules to protect freedoms while fighting crime.
“We want a code of conduct for policing tech, giving us a licence to operate with public trust,” she said. “Without it, criminals win.”
She finished with a rallying cry — borrowing Winston Churchill’s words:
“Give us the tools, and we will finish the job. Men like Tony will cut violent crime, protect the public and bring more serious offenders to justice.”
The new era of policing is digital — but with heart, humanity, and hard steel underneath.
