Pinellas Puts Facial Recognition in Patrol Cars

Isomorphic writes "Despite criticism by rights-advocates, the meltdown of a similar system used by the nearby Tampa Police (previous /. story here), and a zero-hit two-year track record, the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office is putting facial recognition systems into 50 patrol cars. Even more ridiculous is the claim that the system is voluntary."

Comments

Community Based Policing.

[Irvu]

"It's all part of an $8-million Department of Justice grant designed to boost community policing. Of that, it will cost $250,000 to equip the cars, plus an additional training period to teach deputies how to take good photos. At least one car outfitted with the equipment is already on the streets, and others to follow shortly."

I was under the impression that Community-based policing meant:

• Getting more police out in the community on foot and on bicycles rather than behind desks or otherwise isolated from the population.
• Getting police to know their communities by, among other things hiring police from the communities that they are policing, and training them to get to know the people as individuals not suspects and the neighborhoods as places people live not just "ghettos" or "slums".
• Getting police to be responsive to the needs of the community through police reviews, open panels, and yes, enhanced police oversight.

How does this piece of expensive tripe do any of that?