Take Action: Stop the Milwaukee Police Dept from Acquiring Facial Recognition Technologies

Thank you for taking action to support the next step in the process to stop the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) from acquiring its own Facial Recognition Technologies (FRT).

__Email Instructions__

1. Copy & paste the email script into a new email.
2. Customize the name place-holder in the first sentence & add your name to the signature. Feel free to customize the email text to your voice.
3. Copy the list of emails from below into the recipient line of the email. We want you to email all 15 Alderpersons, using the email template that applies to them.
4. Send.
5. Repeat weekly! (Consider scheduling emails ahead of time to go out weekly.)

Email Script 1 for Alders OPPOSED to FRT (see table below):

Subject Line: Oppose MPD’s Plans to Acquire Facial Recognition Tech

Hello Milwaukee Alders,

Thank you for signing the May 14 letter to MPD Chief Norman stating your opposition to the deployment of facial recognition technology in our city. Despite the community’s clear message that we do not welcome FRT, Chief Norman has indicated the MPD still plans to pursue FRT. The only way to protect the community and avert the consequences named in your letter is to introduce a full ban on FRT.

The city of Milwaukee has at least 5,727 CCTV cameras accessible to the MPD - that’s 10 cameras per 1,000 people. We also know the MPD utilizes cellphone interceptor technology and drones to further surveil our communities. The addition of facial recognition technology is a serious threat to our personal privacy, political and religious expression, and our fundamental freedom to live our lives without having every movement and association secretly monitored and analyzed by law enforcement. There is a lack of transparency regarding how facial recognition data is collected, stored, and used, making it difficult for individuals to understand and control their privacy. Data is often collected en masse and without consent, adding to concerns over data breaches involving facial recognition data because facial images are unique identifiers that cannot be easily changed.

Facial recognition algorithms are notoriously inaccurate and racist, and this must be taken into consideration for our city where over half the population are people of color. A study done by the US federal government showed that African American and Asian faces were up to 100 times more likely to be misidentified than white faces, and the highest false-positive rate was among Native Americans. These surveillance activities raise major human rights concerns, especially when there is evidence that Black people are already disproportionately criminalized and targeted by the police. This technology has even led to false arrests. The potential for misuse of collected data, including identity theft, stalking, and harassment, is a major concern.

Right now, there are no published policies dictating how the Milwaukee Police Department uses invasive surveillance tools — or how the associated data is shared with federal law enforcement agencies like ICE, other state and local jurisdictions, or private corporations. Furthermore, the recent expansion of MPD’s surveillance technology, in particular due to budget increases provided for the DNC & RNC, demonstrates that residents have little to no say in preventing MPD from expanding its surveillance capabilities.

I do not support discrimination and racism in our city, and this technology will only further equip the single largest, sanctioned perpetrator of these epidemics on our streets - the Milwaukee Police Department.

Thank you,

[YOUR NAME]

Email Script 2 for Alders WHO DID NOT SIGN LETTER on FRT (see table below):

Subject Line: Oppose MPD’s Plans to Acquire Facial Recognition Tech

Hello Milwaukee Alders,

On April 17, nearly 30 residents testified at the Fire & Police Commission to state their opposition to the Milwaukee Police Department’s plans to acquire its own facial recognition technology (FRT). Despite the community’s clear message that we do not welcome FRT, and despite a May 14 letter from your Common Council colleagues cautioning the MPD against acquiring FRT, Chief Norman has indicated the MPD still plans to pursue FRT. The only way to protect the community and avert the consequences named in the Common Council’s letter is to introduce a full ban on FRT.

The city of Milwaukee has at least 5,727 CCTV cameras accessible to the MPD - that’s 10 cameras per 1,000 people. We also know the MPD utilizes cellphone interceptor technology and drones to further surveil our communities. The addition of facial recognition technology is a serious threat to our personal privacy, political and religious expression, and our fundamental freedom to live our lives without having every movement and association secretly monitored and analyzed by law enforcement. There is a lack of transparency regarding how facial recognition data is collected, stored, and used, making it difficult for individuals to understand and control their privacy. Data is often collected en masse and without consent, adding to concerns over data breaches involving facial recognition data because facial images are unique identifiers that cannot be easily changed.

Facial recognition algorithms are notoriously inaccurate and racist, and this must be taken into consideration for our city where over half the population are people of color. A study done by the US federal government showed that African American and Asian faces were up to 100 times more likely to be misidentified than white faces, and the highest false-positive rate was among Native Americans. These surveillance activities raise major human rights concerns, especially when there is evidence that Black people are already disproportionately criminalized and targeted by the police. This technology has even led to false arrests. The potential for misuse of collected data, including identity theft, stalking, and harassment, is a major concern.

Right now, there are no published policies dictating how the Milwaukee Police Department uses invasive surveillance tools — or how the associated data is shared with federal law enforcement agencies like ICE, other state and local jurisdictions, or private corporations. Furthermore, the recent expansion of MPD’s surveillance technology, in particular due to budget increases provided for the DNC & RNC, demonstrates that residents have little to no say in preventing MPD from expanding its surveillance capabilities.

I do not support discrimination and racism in our city, and this technology will only further equip the single largest, sanctioned perpetrator of these epidemics on our streets - the Milwaukee Police Department.

Thank you,

[YOUR NAME]

_Call Instructions__

Use the table of contact information below to call each Alderperson’s office. Please call all 15 Alderpersons Supervisors and do so weekly. We anticipate you’ll be leaving voicemails when making these calls.

*WHEN CALLING YOUR OWN ALDERPERSON: Please make sure to also request a constituent meeting with them. If they agree, please email milwaukee4palestine@gmail.com and we can help you prepare and find others to join you for the meeting.

Call Script for Alders who oppose the use of FRT/signed the May 14 letter:

Hello, my name is [FIRST NAME], and I [live, work, and/or spend time in Milwaukee]. I’m calling to thank the Alder for signing onto a letter expressing “strong opposition” to the deployment of facial recognition technology by the Milwaukee Police Department. I am also opposed to MPD acquiring this technology and am seriously concerned about the violations of civil liberties and human rights that often come with the use of FRT and other surveillance technologies. I ask you to continue speaking publicly against the MPD’s plans to acquire FRT. Thank you.

Call Script for Alders who support MPD’s efforts to get FRT or have unknown positions:

Hello, my name is [FIRST NAME], and I [live, work, and/or spend time in Milwaukee]. I’m calling to express my opposition to the MPD acquiring facial recognition technology. I am seriously concerned about the violations of civil liberties and human rights that often come with the use of FRT and other surveillance technologies. I have not heard what position this Alderperson has on FRT. Do they support MPD gaining access to FRT as another surveillance tool to use against the public?

Alderperson’s Contact Information

Find your district at: https://itmdapps.milwaukee.gov/MyMilwaukeeHome/indexSidebarNew.jsp#0