The Milwaukee Police Department is weighing a proposal to share approximately 2.5 million jail records and mugshots with private company Biometrica in exchange for access to the company’s facial recognition technology platform. The potential deal has sparked intense debate among city officials, privacy advocates, and members of the public about the ethics, legality, and broader risks associated with transferring sensitive personal information to a private vendor.
Under the proposed agreement, MPD would provide Biometrica with decades of booking photographs and jail records, including data concerning individuals who were never charged or convicted of a crime. In return, the department would gain access to Biometrica’s facial recognition system, which allows law enforcement to match images from surveillance footage and other sources against an extensive database.
The proposed partnership comes amid a broader global expansion of facial recognition technologies. However, the Milwaukee plan has provoked sharp criticism from local officials and civil rights groups.
Wisconsin currently lacks comprehensive biometric privacy laws similar to Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA), meaning individuals whose biometric data is shared would have limited legal protections. At the federal level, legislative efforts to regulate facial recognition remain stalled, and there are no clear local requirements in Milwaukee for public input, transparency, or oversight related to biometric technology deployments. This regulatory gap heightens concerns about data misuse, breaches, and potential civil rights violations.
Although mugshots and booking records are generally considered public records under Wisconsin law, access to these records is regulated, and they are not universally available online without restrictions. The proposed agreement does not appear to offer affected individuals any notification, consent process, or opportunity to opt out of the data sharing arrangement.
The scrutiny of Biometrica’s operations is not new. Last year, the Belize Police Department reconsidered a potential partnership with Biometrica after concerns emerged about data-sharing practices and lack of local control.
Milwaukee has previously faced controversy regarding police surveillance practices, notably the secretive use of Stingray cellphone tracking devices, which some say have contributed to a climate of mistrust around law enforcement technology initiatives. The absence of clear policies governing the use of new technologies remains a major point of contention as the city weighs this latest proposal.
The proposed deal must be approved by the Milwaukee Common Council before it can be implemented. Public hearings are expected in the coming weeks to address community concerns and discuss potential safeguards, though it remains unclear whether current draft policies will be amended to include stronger oversight, data protection measures, or independent audits.
Sources: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Security Info Watch
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April 25, 2025 – by Ali Nassar-Smith
