Robert Dillon wrongfully arrested in facial recognition misidentification

Robert Dillon was wrongfully arrested in Florida after he was falsely identified by a facial recognition system as a suspect in a child luring case. What happened After an attempt to lure a 12-year-old girl in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, Robert Dillon was arrested at his residence some 300 miles away based on a 93 percent facial recognition match run by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. Dillon’s photograph was shown to two witnesses, who both identified him as the suspect they had seen in November 2023 among a group of similar photos. The mistaken arrest caused Dillon significant personal harm and was later dropped, with charges dismissed and his record cleared. Dillon has since said he plans to sue the police. Why it happened The wrongful arrest resulted from the police department's reliance on unreliable facial recognition technology that cannot establish probable cause. Photo lineups are generally considered to be sufficient to establish probable cause only in conjunction with other evidence. The mistake was compounded by law enforcement agencies passing responsibility and lacking transparency. What it means The case reveals the serious risks wrongful arrests pose to individuals and highlights the need for regulation, oversight and caution in using AI technologies in policing to protect civil liberties and prevent injustice. System 🤖 FACES Developer: Idemia Country: USA Sector: Govt - police Purpose: Identify criminal suspect Technology: Facia l recognition Issue: Accountability; Accuracy/reliability; Human/civil rights; Transparency

Date it happened

2024-08-01

Organisation involved

Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office

Product, system or model

FACES

This is a record of what was reported, not a finding that anyone broke the law. If it names your organisation and you believe it is wrong, the corrections process is free and open to everyone.