Police Will Stop Using Private Facial Recognition Cameras For Criminal Probes

A growing network of AI-powered facial recognition cameras in New Orleans, mostly operated by the nonprofit Project NOLA, is raising major privacy concerns and legal scrutiny. Around 200 privately-funded cameras equipped with real-time facial recognition alert law enforcement to suspected criminals by scanning pedestrian faces, clothing, or vehicles. Project NOLA, led by former police officer Bryan Lagarde, says it uses these alerts strictly for criminal investigations and missing persons, claiming, “We don’t sell or share the data.”

However, a new report by The Washington Post suggests the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) may have violated a 2022 ordinance that prohibits the use of facial recognition as a “surveillance tool” and limits it to violent crimes or missing persons, with strict oversight. According to Lagarde, NOPD had been receiving real-time alerts from Project NOLA since 2022. He said NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick was “very familiar” with the system. But in April, she abruptly banned officers from receiving alerts, and later suspended their use citywide, citing a need to ensure “full compliance with NOPD policy, city ordinance, and constitutional standards.”

City officials are reportedly considering launching their own facial recognition system. Discussions to revise the 2022 ordinance are ongoing, though neither NOPD nor City Council has provided details. The surveillance technology is most concentrated in the French Quarter and Central Business District—areas where Project NOLA says its cameras recently helped Louisiana State Police recapture a jail escapee.

Despite criticism, Lagarde defends the system's utility, pointing to its role in solving homicides and tracking suspects in high-profile incidents, including the Jan. 1 attack on Bourbon Street. Still, the ACLU of Louisiana has called for a moratorium on facial recognition use by NOPD, citing racial bias concerns and historical misuse. “It’s time to pause and investigate,” the group wrote in a letter to the City Council.

Past attempts at expanding surveillance in the city, including a 2017 proposal to mandate cameras at all alcohol-serving businesses, faced backlash for promoting a “big brother” culture. Although Project NOLA deletes footage after 30 days and places cameras at the request of property owners, civil rights advocates warn that unchecked use risks eroding public trust and disproportionately targeting communities of color.

Link: Nola.com