More than 15,600 faces of people one Witney High Street were scanned by police facial recognition technology in just one day of the van's deployment.
One person was arrested as a result of the deployment, which uses a camera lens on top of a van parked on the road to scan the faces of passersby, and identify suspects.
In total, between 10.30am and 2.30pm on Wednesday, September 16, the van in Witney scanned 15,628 faces, three of which resulted in a confirmed alert.
Chairman of Witney Town Council, Councillor David Edwards-Hughes, said: "Supporting our police with modern technology to catch wanted criminals and keep our high streets safe is central to Conservative policy.
"Having spent time in the town centre yesterday, it was clear that Thames Valley Police were taking a very proactive approach—officers on the ground were making a real effort to speak with passers-by and explain how the deployment works.
"While it’s natural for residents to have questions when new technology is introduced, operational safeguards mean images of members of the public who aren't on a watchlist are deleted immediately.
"Broadening public understanding of how these safeguards work is key to maintaining trust while allowing the police to get on with keeping Witney safe."
The vans were first deployed in Oxfordshire in Cornmarket Street, Oxford, in December 2025.
Anyone who is wanted by the police whose mugshot is on the force's system can be identified by the camera and arrested by officers on the ground.
If, however, you are not wanted by the police or even known to them, your face will be deleted from their system instantaneously.
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