Illinois Bill Proposes Ban on Facial Recognition for Police
A new bill has been introduced in the Illinois General Assembly that seeks to prohibit law enforcement from utilizing facial recognition technology in criminal investigations, according to reports from Chicago-area media.
Facial recognition software had previously aided Chicago police in cracking several murder cases, as noted by CWBChicago.com. The legislation, introduced by Democratic Rep. Kelly Cassidy, effectively suspended the use of this technology on February 6, under the Illinois Biometric Surveillance Act.
The bill’s text declares that “a law enforcement agency may not obtain, retain, possess, access, request, or use, or enter into any contract with any third party, state, local, or federal agency, to obtain, retain, possess, access, request, or use a biometric system or any information obtained from a biometric system.”
On social media, police shared that facial recognition tools have been instrumental in identifying suspects involved in serious crimes, such as murder and kidnapping. Officials seem intent on ensuring this technology is permanently sidelined.
Rep. Cassidy expressed concerns about the impacts of incarceration, stating on her website, “We lock up too many people, lock them up for too long, and make it very difficult for them to reintegrate into society when they are finally released.” She believes these punitive measures lead to cycles of reoffending, especially for individuals who have made youthful mistakes.
Furthermore, Cassidy is notably the only openly gay female member of Congress and is married to Candice, the half-sister of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.
Recent surveillance video enabled the identification of Jose Medina-Medina, an undocumented immigrant charged with the murder of Sheridan Gorman, a Loyola University freshman.
In another instance, facial recognition technology played a crucial role in the murder investigation of Raymond Harrison, where a suspect, Pedro Villarreal, was identified with the assistance of the software, and a survivor managed to recognize him from a photo.
Villarreal is currently awaiting trial for the murder as Chicago continues to grapple with high crime rates, leading the nation in homicides for the 13th consecutive year, tallying 572 murders in 2024.
Additionally, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson halted the use of gunshot detection technology in September 2024 amid growing concerns over crime in the city. This high crime rate has also resulted in significant companies, including Boeing and Caterpillar, relocating outside of Chicago.
