Police use facial recognition technology to catch suspects, causing controversy, often making mistakes resulting in the arrest of innocent people
In a shocking turn of events, Detroit resident Poshia Woodruff faced wrongful arrest on carjacking charges while she was eight months pregnant. Woodruff alleges that the police relied too heavily on facial recognition technology, which ultimately led to her arrest.
A recent investigation by The Washington Post has uncovered that law enforcement agencies nationwide have utilized facial recognition technology to apprehend hundreds of suspects, often without providing clear evidence of its effectiveness in solving crimes. This raises significant questions about the potential misuse of such technology.
The investigation revealed data from police departments across 15 states over the past four years, which indicated that thousands of criminal cases involved tracking suspects using facial recognition. Alarmingly, many of those arrested were not even aware that they had been identified through this method, hampering their ability to defend themselves—a reality that disproportionately impacts people of color.
Moreover, law enforcement reports frequently downplay their reliance on facial recognition, instead highlighting conventional investigative techniques or witness testimonies. For instance, the Evansville Police Department in Indiana apprehended a suspect in an assault case by noting distinguishing features like tattoos and long hair rather than relying on facial recognition tools.
In a separate incident, the Pflugerville Police Department in Texas identified a suspect in a $12,500 theft at Ulta Beauty using facial recognition technology, but they failed to inform the individual about the basis for their identification.
The Post’s investigation revealed at least seven innocent individuals were wrongfully arrested because of misidentifications, with six of them being Black. A particularly striking case involved Quran Reid, who was accused in 2022 of using stolen credit cards to purchase luxury goods in Louisiana. Despite living in Atlanta and never having been to Louisiana, Reid was arrested and spent six days in jail before learning that facial recognition technology had identified him.
Reid expressed his frustration, questioning, “Why me? Why did police single me out from so many? I was completely blindsided.” Ultimately, Reid’s exoneration hinged on a distinguishing mole on his face, which the actual suspect lacked. Following this ordeal, Reid has initiated a lawsuit against the police department in pursuit of justice.
The Washington Post requested arrest records from numerous police departments utilizing facial recognition technology, but only uncovered records for 30 suspects, with most departments refusing to answer inquiries. In Coral Springs, Florida, officers were reportedly advised not to mention facial recognition in their written reports.
Cassie Granos, a public defender in Minnesota, suggested that law enforcement might aim to dodge scrutiny regarding the technology’s reliability to avoid liability. However, a recent ruling by a Minnesota judge highlighted that facial recognition technology cannot consistently produce accurate results in theft-related cases.
