The Milwaukee Police Department is on the cusp of adopting facial recognition technology (FRT), but not without facing significant pushback from concerned citizens and city officials. According to WISN, at a recent meeting, Heather Hough, MPD Chief of Staff, attempted to address the controversy head-on. She said, "The Milwaukee Police Department very much so intends to craft a policy with all the community input we are receiving that ensures there is no misuse of the technology."
However, the potential privacy implications and misidentification risks associated with FRT are driving opposition, with concerns particularly heightened about the inaccuracy of the technology among minority populations. Bree Spencer from the Fire and Police Commission, troubled by the technology's potential for error, pointed out, "Half of these mugshots may be of people who are not legally convicted of a crime." A study highlighted by WISN from the National Institute of Standards and Technology supports this concern, indicating higher false positives amongst American Indians, African Americans, and Asians within mugshot images.
In parallel, local advocacy groups are raising alarms over the proposed FRT's long-term impact on civil liberties. Amanda Merkwae from the ACLU of Wisconsin cast doubt on the ability to restrict access to the data, stating to WISN, "It can be used or accessed in ways we cannot stop." Despite such concerns, MPD insists that FRT would merely serve as a lead generator in criminal investigations and not be the sole basis for arrests or warrants, as Heather Hough reassured the Equal Rights Commission in a statement reported by TMJ4.
Despite the stated precautions, the implementation of FRT by the MPD remains contested. With summer approaching, which is known for historically higher crime rates in the city, MPD Chief of Staff Heather Hough explained the urgency behind the department's push for the technology, saying in an interview with FOX6, "We have a lot of violent crimes happening – summer-limited number of detectives – a lot of violent crimes happening." Hough emphasized the demand for the tool to enhance their investigative capabilities. The MPD's dialogue with Biometrica Systems was first initiated in April, as they consider exchanging access to 2.5 million mug shots for FRT capabilities.
