ORLANDO, Fla. – The city of Orlando announced Thursday that it has reached a deal with Amazon to continue its testing of facial recognition software.
The previous test period in Orlando ended in June after six months. At the time, Orlando police said more testing would need to be completed.
City officials said the same seven city of Orlando police officers that were involved in the first test phase will be involved in the second. The city also said no members of the public are being used in the pilot program.
In the second phase, a total of eight cameras will be used. The city said this includes four at police headquarters, three city IRIS cameras and another at a city facility.
The eight cameras are connected to the Amazon network, streaming back video to the company. Amazon's software then uses the images in the video to see if it matches pre-set images or photographs downloaded into the system.
"If you're caught on camera in, you know, the process of the crime, and they can catch you somewhere else, I think that's awesome," Orlando resident Kelly Gregory said. "It's unfortunate that we are in the time and place now that we need stuff like that. You know, crime is climbing."
"I think it's crazy that you can't walk in the neighborhood and not have cameras checking us out," Orlando resident Joe Jackson said. "Especially in the ethnic areas, I'm sure everywhere you walk they will be, like, 'There he is, get, get him. He got a warrant.' No, that's not the way to do it. If you got warrants, catch people as they come along."
Previously, the American Civil Liberties Union sent a letter to the city of Orlando, asking it to stop using the technology.
Officials still have not said what the projected cost would be to purchase the software.