Policing Posts
Highlights from the Policing Project’s Convening on Facial Recognition
Several jurisdictions are using facial recognition to aid law enforcement—from helping identify suspects and witnesses, to locating missing children. At the same time, other jurisdictions have banned facial recognition outright, fearing the potential for abuse of such technologies, and warning of the severe invasion of privacy posed by such systems.
2019 Report of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit Task Force on Eyewitness Identifications
The Third Circuit Task Force on Eyewitness Identifications (Task Force) was created, in part, in response to the scientific developments in the field of eyewitness identification and the recognition that courts had begun to apply these developments in criminal cases.
Policing Race and Technology
The Brennan Center for Justice and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund are holding a symposium on “Policing Race and Technology” on Dec. 3, 2019. The symposim aims to center the racial justice issues raised by modern surveillance technologies such as facial recognition, predictive policing, and social media monitoring tools.
DOJ Announces Pilot Program for Use of Body-Worn Cameras by Federally Deputized Task Force Officers
On Oct. 28, the U.S. Department of Justice issued a press release announcing a pilot program that will allow federally deputized task force officers to use body-worn cameras while serving arrest warrants, or other planned arrest operations, and during the execution of search warrants.
As Axon Eyes Entry Into ALPR Market, Ethics Board Calls For Industry-Wide Regulation
In a new report produced by the Policing Project, the Axon AI and Policing Technology Ethics Board is calling for increased regulation of Automated License Plate Readers by both private and public actors in response to Axon Enterprise Inc.’s announcement of its intention to enter the ALPR market.
October 2019 Council Updates
During its meeting in New York City on October 17 and 18, the ALI Council reviewed drafts for seven Institute projects. Drafts or portions of drafts for six projects received Council approval, subject to the meeting discussion and to the usual prerogative to make nonsubstantive editorial improvements.
How A ‘Lens of Fear’ Can Make Officers More Likely to Use Deadly Force
In this interview from PBS News Hour, Amna Nawaz discusses police training, race, and use of force with Seth Stoughton of the University of South Carolina.
Policing Project Drafts Innovative New Use of Force Policy For Camden
The Camden County Police Department recently announced adoption of its innovative, revised use of force policy drafted with the help of the Policing Project.
California Governor Signs “Use of Force” Bill Into Law
On August 19, California’s Office of the Governor issued a press release announcing that Governor Newsom signed AB 392 into law. The bill enacts one of the strongest use-of-force laws in the country.
Suspicionless Witness Stops: The New Racial Profiling
Young minority men in high-crime neighborhoods are surrounded by poverty and crime, yet distrustful of the police that frequently stop, frisk, and arrest them and their friends. Every encounter with the police carries the potential for a new arrest or incarceration, fostering a culture of fear and distrust of the authorities.