Randal Reid wrongly arrested for theft using facial recognition

Georgia resident Randall Quran Reid was wrongly arrested and jailed by police using facial recognition technology, prompting concerns about the technology's reliability and police opacity.

Reid was detained in DeKalb County, Georgia after Louisiana police used Clearview AI facial recognition to mistakenly link him to the theft of USD 13,000 of purses in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 

Reid spent six days in jail and missed a week of work due to the incident.

The incident stemmed from the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office's reliance on flawed facial recognition without conducting adequate follow-up investigations. Detective Andrew Bartholomew sought an arrest warrant based solely on the facial recognition match, failing to verify Reid's alibi that he was in Georgia at the time of the alleged crime. 

According to AP, 'Jefferson Sheriff Joe Lopinto’s office did not respond to several requests for information [..] on Reid’s arrest and release, the agency’s use of facial recognition or any safeguards around it.' Gizmodo reports Louisiana authorities 'admitted the false match 'tacitly''.

In July 2022, New Orleans city council had voted to allow the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) to use facial recognition, having outlawed its use in December 2020. Per Protocol, the department never kept records of how often the technology was used or whether it facilitated investigations or led to arrests or convictions.