Local group worried use of facial recognition in Pittsburgh could put innocent people at risk

PITTSBURGH — While facial recognition is being used more and more by police departments all over the country, the Black Political Empowerment Project CEO Tim Stevens is letting city council know through a letter that he doesn’t want it used in Pittsburgh.

“We have enough people sitting in jail now who probably shouldn’t be there. We don’t need to add to the numbers,” Stevens said.

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Channel 11 told you last week Councilman Corey O’Connor introduced legislation to council that would ban facial recognition technology for Pittsburgh police. It would only be allowed if council approved it.

Police chief Scott Schubert weighed in when the legislation was first announced. “It’s something that needs to be looked at, and something we all need to sit down and talk about. And see what is out there and what we can and can’t use,” he said.

At the end of last year, a federal study showed that facial recognition technology misidentified people of color more often than white people.

“I’m sure some of the police officers look at it as another tool. If the tool was a precise tool, that’s different. It’s not a precise tool,” Stevens said.

And with the current climate, Stevens is fearful activists could be targeted.

“We have a lot of protesters right now -- locally and nationally -- and we don’t need folks who are protesting peacefully to be stopped, ‘oh you look like so and so,’” Stevens said.

And he says it could be divisive with rising tensions between police and black communities.

“We have enough of the black community locally and nationally upset with policing now. We don’t need to add fuel to the fire,” Stevens said.

Channel 11 spoke to O’Connor, who is behind the bill. He said he is very appreciative of all the community support he’s received on it, including the support of BPEP.

Pittsburgh councilman introduces bill that would regulate facial recognition technology Pittsburgh councilman introduces bill that would regulate facial recognition technology

Cox Media Group