In a significant move following a damaging incident where facial recognition technology led to a wrongful arrest, the Detroit Police Department has overhauled its use of the software, authorities confirmed. The re-evaluation of the technology's usage comes as part of a federal settlement with Robert Williams, who was mistaken for a thief from a Shinola store in 2018, based on facial recognition, and wrongfully arrested in 2020. According to a release by CBS News Detroit, Williams was detained for 30 hours in the presence of his wife and children before his release on a personal bond.
Williams's legal battle ended in Detroit agreeing to a $300,000 settlement approved by the Detroit City Council in May, as detailed in an article by the USA TODAY NETWORK. The case brought to light the pitfalls of facial recognition technology, notably its misidentification tendencies, particularly among people of color, the settlement brings forth policy changes, including the mandate that Detroit police cannot solely rely on facial recognition tech for arrests and lineups must be corroborated by other reliable evidence as the technology is renowned for inaccuracies and has led to multiple wrongful arrests.
As stated in a Detroit Free Press report, Williams's ordeal, which began with the analysis of a poor-quality video still by a Detroit detective led to the implementation of a training program focused on the technology's risks and the launching of an audit on all arrests tied to facial recognition since 2017. "The scariest part is that what happened to me could have happened to anyone," Williams said at a press conference.
In the wake of the settlement and policy revisions, Detroit's Chief James White has stated that new facial recognition policies will necessitate three independent sign-offs before using the said technology in investigations, addressing concerns over the "sloppy" detective work that implicated Williams. The ACLU has lauded the case's outcome, calling it "groundbreaking," and anticipates that the revisions will become a benchmark for law enforcement nationwide. Additionally, the Detroit Police Department expressed a firm belief that the policy changes will not only be seen as a constitutional advancement but also as an example of best facial recognition practices for police agencies across the country, striving for a fair, equitable, and just application of law enforcement tools and strategies.
