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The New Orleans Police Department secretly utilized a private, real-time facial recognition surveillance network operated by the nonprofit Project NOLA for over two years. This system, which scanned public streets and sent automated alerts to officers' phones, bypassed a 2022 city ordinance requiring oversight and transparency for facial recognition use. The program, which contributed to dozens of arrests, was paused in April 2025 following a Washington Post investigation that highlighted concerns regarding civil liberties, racial bias, and the lack of accountability in privatized law enforcement surveillance.
According to reporting by The Washington Post, New Orleans police received real-time facial recognition alerts from a privately operated surveillance network run by Project NOLA, reportedly leading to dozens of arrests. This purported use of AI surveillance appears to conflict with a 2022 city ordinance that restricts facial recognition to specific post-incident investigations. Police are alleged to have not consistently disclosed the technology's use.
Domain classification, causal taxonomy, severity scores, and national security assessments were LLM-classified and may contain errors.
AI systems that memorize and leak sensitive personal data or infer private information about individuals without their consent. Unexpected or unauthorized sharing of data and information can compromise user expectation of privacy, assist identity theft, or cause loss of confidential intellectual property.
Also classified as
The use of facial recognition technology poses a disproportionate risk of misidentification and wrongful arrest for people of color, women, and older individuals due to documented algorithmic biases.
NOPD officers relied on automated, unverified real-time alerts to make immediate stops and arrests, bypassing the mandated verification process by trained examiners.
The deployment of a real-time facial recognition network continuously scanned and tracked the locations and identities of thousands of citizens in public spaces without their consent or legal authorization.
Human
Due to a decision or action made by humans
Intentional
Due to an expected outcome from pursuing a goal
Post-deployment
Occurring after the AI model has been trained and deployed
The incident was caused by the intentional decision of NOPD officers and Project NOLA to deploy and use the real-time facial recognition system in secret, bypassing municipal laws.
Added categories peak at 2: Minor (Psychological Harm, Direct)
The New Orleans Police Department secretly deployed a real-time facial recognition network using banned Chinese-made cameras, bypassing local democratic oversight and city ordinances. This unauthorized mass surveillance of thousands of citizens represents a notable threat to societal stability, civil liberties, and privacy, warranting serious attention regarding regulatory compliance and police accountability.
The AI system functioned as an Assistant by scanning live feeds and sending real-time alerts to officers' phones to augment their ability to locate suspects, while still requiring human officers to perform the actual stops and arrests.
High Risk: The report describes a law enforcement application utilizing facial recognition, which is explicitly classified as high-risk under the EU AI Act due to its significant implications for safety, fundamental rights, and public interests.
The AI system was explicitly designed to perform real-time face recognition on live camera feeds to identify individuals on a watchlist and facilitate immediate arrests.
The reports are highly detailed, from reputable sources like The Washington Post and the ACLU, providing consistent accounts of the system's operation, NOPD's involvement, and the subsequent pause. The core facts of the secret deployment and the bypassing of the ordinance are well-documented.
Some city officials argued that receiving tips from a private entity (Project NOLA) did not constitute NOPD operating a surveillance system, though this is widely rejected by civil rights groups.
Technology
Real-time automated alerts
Software sent instant matches to phones, prompting immediate arrests.
Use of banned hardware
System relied on Chinese Dahua cameras and DSS app banned by Congress.
Algorithmic bias
Software is less reliable for people of color, women, and older people.
Data Inputs
Unverified watchlists
Watchlists of 30,000+ faces compiled from mugshots without accuracy standards.
No data retention
Failure to retain alert records undermined legal evidence requirements.
Human Factors
Bypassing slow official channels
Officers used the app because the state fusion center process was too slow.
Unverified match reliance
Officers made stops based on unverified automated alerts without extra proof.
Process and Methods
Omission in police reports
Officers hid the use of facial recognition in official arrest paperwork.
Bypassing fusion center
Police skipped the mandated two-examiner verification process.
No city council reporting
Mandatory reports on facial recognition use were never submitted to council.
Management
Lack of formal contracts
No official agreement between NOPD and Project NOLA obscured accountability.
Prioritizing speed over safety
Management allowed unsanctioned app use to boost immediate arrests.
Failure to monitor officers
NOPD leadership failed to track which officers installed the DSS app.
Regulatory Environment
Lack of federal regulations
No federal laws exist to govern AI use by local law enforcement.
Private network loophole
Operating through a private nonprofit bypassed municipal surveillance bans.
AI system involved
Identified by automated extraction; can differ from the alleged developers above.
