New Orleans Mayor OKs Facial Recognition Use for Cops

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell signed an ordinance Thursday to partly reverse the city’s ban on police use of facial recognition software.

She had pushed for the changes in a ban approved nearly two years ago, when crime was low.

Under the ordinance approved last week by the City Council on a 4-to-2 vote, police must get a judge’s approval to use the software and cellphone surveillance towers. And they may use them only to investigate 39 violent crimes, including murder, rape, stalking and battery of a police officer.