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Detroit police chief, James White, has announced new policies on the use of facial-recognition technology following a case in which a pregnant woman was wrongly charged with robbery and carjacking. The technology, used on gas station video images, led to leads in the case but was followed by “very poor” police work. The woman’s charges were ultimately dropped, and the police chief wants to ensure that such incidents do not happen again. Critics argue that facial recognition technology often misidentifies people of color. The new policies will be presented to the Detroit Police Board of Commissioners. EL PAÍS English reported
The police chief of Detroit has announced the implementation of new policies regarding the use of facial-recognition technology, following a case in which a pregnant woman was wrongly charged with robbery and carjacking. The woman, Porcha Woodruff, a Black individual, was arrested based on facial recognition technology that was used on gas station video footage. However, the charges were later dropped due to insufficient evidence. Chief James White acknowledged the shortcomings in police work and expressed the need to prevent such incidents from occurring again. His remarks came shortly after the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit on behalf of Woodruff, adding to two similar lawsuits against the city of Detroit.
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Under the new policies, officers will be prohibited from using facial-recognition-derived images in photographic lineups, and arrest warrants involving facial technology will require review by two captains. Chief White emphasized the importance of relying on additional evidence beyond the technology itself to establish a suspect’s involvement in a crime. Critics argue that facial recognition technology disproportionately misidentifies individuals of color. Woodruff’s lawsuit highlights the fact that she was identified by facial recognition despite the victim never describing the carjacker as visibly pregnant. Woodruff spent several hours in jail following her arrest.
Chief White acknowledged the difficulty of the situation, particularly due to Woodruff’s advanced pregnancy, and expressed the commitment to improve and hold individuals accountable for this mistake. These new policies will be presented to the Detroit Police Board of Commissioners for approval..
