On Monday, the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office quietly signed paperwork signaling it wants in on facial-recognition technology, edging the agency closer to a contract with a biometric vendor after years of public skepticism and unease on the County Board. The move caught some supervisors off guard, particularly those who had pushed for a countywide policy before anyone deployed the tech. Civil-rights advocates and neighborhood leaders warn the decision could further strain community trust and fuel biased matches in criminal databases.
What the sheriff signed
At a Feb. 16 meeting, the office approved a document described as an “intent to enter into a contract” that would let booking photos be run against a broader image database, according to the…..