Man Wrongly Accused of Theft in Detroit Awarded $300K Compensation

A settlement has been reached between the city of Detroit and Robert Williams, who was wrongfully accused of shoplifting and whose driver’s license photo was incorrectly flagged as a possible match for a suspect seen on security video. As part of the settlement, Detroit has agreed to pay $300,000 to Williams and implement changes to how police use facial recognition technology in solving crimes. Williams, who is Black, expressed hope for a better world while also voicing his desire for the technology to not be used at all.

The announcement of the agreement was made by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Civil Rights Litigation Initiative at the University of Michigan law school. They argue that facial recognition technology is flawed and racially biased. Detroit police will no longer be allowed to make arrests based solely on facial recognition results or photo lineups generated from a facial recognition search. Instead, they will need to gather additional evidence before proceeding with an arrest.

The settlement requires Detroit police to review cases from 2017 to 2023 in which facial recognition technology was used. If an arrest was made without independent evidence, a prosecutor will be notified. The ACLU attorney emphasized the importance of ensuring that individuals are not pressured into pleading guilty based on facial recognition scans and lineup results. Chief James White had previously announced new policies regarding the use of the technology after a woman who was eight months pregnant was falsely charged with carjacking.

Overall, the agreement aims to address the concerns surrounding the use of facial recognition technology by implementing new protocols and safeguards to prevent wrongful arrests and unjust outcomes.