New Orleans' Battle Against Racist Facial-Recognition Policing

The use of facial recognition technology by the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) has been deemed "wholly ineffective and pretty obviously racist" according to records obtained and analyzed by POLITICO. The data shows that the system has low effectiveness, is rarely associated with arrests, and is disproportionately used on Black individuals. Out of 15 facial recognition requests made by the NOPD, nine failed to make a match, and three of the six matches turned out to be wrong. The records confirm concerns raised by civil rights advocates that facial recognition amplifies existing biases and disproportionately targets specific groups. Despite these findings, a slim majority of New Orleans City Council members, along with the police, mayor, and local businesses, still support the use of facial recognition technology.