Law enforcement agencies, including the Caldwell Police Department in Idaho, are expanding their use of artificial intelligence to write reports, review body camera footage, read licence plates, and deploy drones to emergency calls. During public demonstrations, AI software allows hours of footage captured by drones, traffic cameras, and licence plate readers to be analysed in minutes to track participants. Civil liberties advocates, legal scholars, and policing experts warn that the technology could amplify surveillance, introduce hidden biases into investigations, and make evidence harder to challenge in court. Rachel Levinson-Waldman of the Brennan Center for Justice expressed concern that these tools could supercharge law enforcement surveillance and enforcement. Although automated tools like facial recognition and predictive policing have been used for decades, critics fear AI taking on an increasingly active role in criminal justice.

Background: Facial Recognition in Policing

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