CCPD Policy on Facial Recognition

DISCLAIMER: The following FAQs and summaries were produced by the Policing Project, a non-profit organization. Although based on official policies of the Camden County Police Department, they do NOT represent official CCPD policy, practice, custom, or procedure. These FAQs and summaries should not be treated as complete or comprehensive. To read the official CCPD policy in full, view them here or click the blue button on each summary page.

What is facial recognition?

Facial recognition, also called PositiveID or FaceID, is a tool CCPD uses in order to help identify people by comparing an image of the person’s face to a database of stored facial images.

When is facial recognition used?

Whenever a person undergoes the booking procedure for a crime or disorderly person offense, then he or she will be photographed and their image will be stored in a database. A person who is suspected of engaging in criminal activity may also have an image of their face stored and compared in the CCPD’s database.

When can facial recognition not be used?

If an officer does not have reasonable articulable suspicion that the person is engaged in criminal activity, the officer must obtain the person’s consent before taking his or her picture. If the person refuses consent, they are free to walk away.