Police body cameras are supposed to enhance police accountability, improve evidence quality, and reduce complaints against officers. They aim to provide transparency in policing and support investigations by capturing real-time footage of events. In New Orleans, police body camera footage is being used for mass surveillance.
In an email obtained through a public records request, we observe NOPD Detective Sergeant Sarah Cherny emailing former NOPD officer Bryan Lagarde pictures from NOPD body cameras for entry into Project NOLA’s 5000+ camera spy network. Once uploaded to Project NOLA, private cameras across the city search for the face and track their every movement. A subjects movements can searched back at least 30 days. NOPD use of mass surveillance and facial recognition technology (FRT) is mostly illegal under New Orleans City Ordinances.
Detective Cherny is a prolific user of mass surveillance. We have dozens of emails where Cherny violates NOPD policy and City Ordinances by requesting facial recognition monitoring from Project NOLA. In November, we won our first NOPD PIB complaint for misuse of FRT. More are coming soon.
