Debate Intensifies Over Facial Recognition Technology in Milwaukee
In Milwaukee, community leaders are voicing significant concerns regarding the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office’s initiative to implement facial recognition technology. The sheriff’s office intends to use the technology purely for guiding active investigations, clarifying that it will not be employed to charge individuals with crimes, according to Chief Deputy Brian Barkow.
At a recent county board committee meeting, Barkow explained, “It is a tool that’s utilized to point an investigator, potentially, in the right direction.” The proposed software would be limited to searching booking photos and sex offender registry entries, excluding social media or other online platforms.
However, the proposal has met with resistance from community leaders who cite privacy concerns and potential biases inherent in the technology. There is also apprehension regarding the possibility of federal immigration enforcement gaining access to this software. Angela Lang, executive director of Black Leaders Organizing Communities, expressed her concerns, stating, “We cannot ignore the political climate that we are in and acknowledging that more surveillance and more policing in our communities is not only harmful, it is dangerous and it is irresponsible.”
Milwaukee County Board Supervisor Juan Miguel Martinez also opposed the technology, emphasizing, “Where we are right now, with the administration that is currently running this country, this would absolutely destroy and shatter public trust, completely, as it is.”
The sheriff’s office is contemplating a potential partnership with facial recognition company Biometrica. This consideration comes after previous reactions to the Milwaukee Police Department’s interest in collaborating with the same company, which was met with criticism from Emilio De Torre, the executive director of the Milwaukee Turners. De Torre voiced his concerns about the surveillance technologies, saying, “This is a ridiculously dangerous time to allow any additional surveillance and tracking and face mapping software.”
De Torre also criticized the use of Flock cameras by the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office, arguing that technologies like these infringe on privacy rights and are prone to misuse.
Barkow reassured that the facial recognition software would be confined to investigative personnel within the sheriff’s office and not deployed agency-wide. Regarding federal immigration enforcement, he clarified, “We only share what information is required by federal law.” A Biometrica executive present at the meeting confirmed that the company does not collaborate with ICE.
The Milwaukee Police Department had previously considered a similar agreement with Biometrica, but 11 of the city’s 15 alders signed a letter in May opposing any use of facial recognition technology. A department spokesperson confirmed via email that there is currently no agreement in place with the company.
