The ever-growing army of self-driving vehicles quietly traveling through our cities are becoming something far more than just driverless vehicles—they’re morphing into the most sophisticated mobile surveillance network law enforcement has ever had. Police departments across America are increasingly tapping into the 360-degree, always-recording cameras of autonomous vehicles to investigate ...
Police departments across the United States are increasingly using artificial intelligence (“AI”) to generate composite sketches of suspects based on witness descriptions, accelerating an investigative process that once relied solely on human artists.
The adoption of AI in law enforcement spans multiple domains. In Chicago, algorithms help identify potential crime ...
The New Orleans Police Department (“NOPD”) has used artificial intelligence-powered facial recognition technology since at least 2018, often bypassing city ordinances designed to limit such surveillance, according to public records, internal emails, and a 2025 Washington Post investigation.
In December 2020, the New Orleans City Council unanimously passed Ordinance 33021, ...
The police badge should be a shield for the public, not a cloak for predators. Yet across America, a dangerous undercurrent flows beneath the thin blue line: officers fired for brutality, lies, theft, even criminal acts, are quietly recycled back onto the streets where they often dishonor the badge again. ...
by James Mills
When law enforcement wants to screen a person for drug use, they usually must collect some kind of invasive physical sample from the suspect. Urine, blood, and hair are all common choices. Now drug use may soon be detectable from fingerprints alone.
For years, Min Jang, an ...
by James Mills
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) has developed a powerful surveillance tool that allows analysts to extract metadata from hundreds of websites, apps, and platforms, enabling the agency to gather detailed information on individuals, likely to aid in arrests, deportations, and visa enforcement.
ICE’s stated mission is ...
by James Mills
Artificial intelligence has exceeded human capabilities in yet another area.
AI has surpassed human forensic experts in determining biological sex from skeletal remains. Forensic anthropologists traditionally analyze human skeletons to estimate age, lifestyle, and sex—key information for criminal investigations, identifying remains, archaeology, and paleoanthropology. Now, a team ...
by James Mills
Footage from police body cameras could soon become a pricey commodity in Ohio. Ohio has joined Arizona and Indiana on the short list of states that allow police departments to charge citizens, lawyers, journalists, and activists to access bodycam footage.
In Arizona, the charge is limited to ...
by James Mills
The United States Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) has announced a new rule that lowers the currency transaction report (“CTR”) limit to $200 for certain counties along the Southwest border of the U.S.
The normal threshold to generate a CTR is $10,000. Money ...
by James Mills
The NYPD now has Drone First Responders (“DFRs”) and has begun deploying them in response to 911 calls. On Nov. 13, 2024, the Mayor’s office announced the new program: 10 drones, deployed across three boroughs—Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Manhattan—remotely dispatched to fly autonomously to the exact longitude ...
