‘Groundbreaking’ new technology will allow police to properly capture bruising on domestic violence victims using a handheld gadget.
Britain’s biggest force is today unveiling the device which will allow frontline officers to gather forensic-grade material that can be used as evidence in court within minutes of first contact.
Project Archway uses cross-polarisation to eliminate glare on the skin and enhance visual contrasts to identify bruises invisible to the naked eye.
Previously, officers often faced challenges in capturing visible evidence of bruising – particularly on darker skin tones and during the early stages of injury.
But the technology, developed in-house by the Metropolitan Police, is closing this gap and the force said it is already improving outcomes for victims.
A 33-use pilot in south London resulted in charges for 45 per cent of the cases.
Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley (second from right) demonstrating the device to London Mayor Sadiq Khan (centre)
The image on the left shows a photo taken without the device where bruising is barely visible. The image on the right taken using Project Archway shows the injury more clearly
Met commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said his force’s charge rate for offences involving violence against women and girls (VAWG) has tripled in three years and this new device was a bold symbol of the force’s desire to protect the public from predators.
‘These improvements are a credit to our people – to their empathy, determination, and courage as they take on these heartrending cases day after day,’ he added.
‘The Met is leading nationally on innovation that puts victims first. We are the only police service to develop this kind of frontline technology, and we’re already seeing how it strengthens evidence, builds trust, and ensures victims feel seen and heard from the moment they report abuse.’
London Mayor Sadiq Khan praised the technology as a ‘game-changer.’
‘This cutting-edge technology will be rolled out across London and is the latest milestone in the Met’s action – backed by record funding from City Hall – to rebuild trust and bring more perpetrators to justice,’ he said.
Sir Sadiq added: ‘I completely understand why ethnic minority and women Londoners have had less confidence in the police service and one of the missions of the police service with my support – and challenge – is to make sure we address the concerns that those Londoners have.
‘I think what today shows is just how much the police has changed, and is responding to a legitimate concern raised by victims and survivors, particularly ethnic minority victims and survivors.’
He continued: ‘It’s really important to acknowledge the progress made. Similarly, the response last week from the Met Police Service and the commissioner to the hearing into Child Q is significant; a recognition of the systemic issues last week from the police service. That wouldn’t have been the case a few years ago.’
Two Metropolitan Police officers were sacked last week after they were found to have committed gross misconduct during the ‘disproportionate’ strip search of a 15-year-old black girl at school, who was wrongly suspected of carrying cannabis.
Met commissioner Sir Mark Rowley demonstrated the technology to London’s Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan
London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan praised the new devices as a ‘game-changer’
The technology will allow frontline officers to take forensic-grade material that can be used as evidence in court within minutes of first contact
Project Archway will now be expanded across more boroughs, custody suites, sexual assault referral centres and forensic teams.
The technology could also be used for post-mortem investigations in the future, the Met said.
Christabel Yeboah, chief executive of HERSANA, which supports black victims of crime, welcomed the innovation which will help document bruising of darker skin.
But she said that technology alone is not enough to fix systems that have long failed victims.
‘Tools like this must be implemented alongside survivor-led consent protocols, meaningful community consultation, anti-racist practice and robust accountability,’ she added.
‘Only then can trust begin to be rebuilt and justice truly served.’
The Project Archway announcement comes as the Met publishes a three-year progress report on tackling VAWG.
Last year, more than 123,000 VAWG cases were reported to the Met, which said it had doubled arrests and charges for rape and serious sexual offences.
The force’s V100 programme, which is a targeted approach to proactively pursuing the capital’s most dangerous offenders using a list which is updated every month, has resulted in 129 convictions and 154 charges including rape and attempted murder.
