Barry Friedman

Stories

From bans to bodycams: how police facial recognition is moving onto the street

As of May 2026: Leading critic of Axon’s pivot toward facial recognition on bodycams

In December 2025, the Edmonton Police Service began testing Axon body cameras with third-party facial-recognition software. The watchlist contained 6,341 people flagged for risks like 'violent or assaultive,' 'armed and dangerous,' or 'high-risk offender,' plus 724 with serious warrants—roughly 7,000 faces. Officers didn't get real-time alerts; instead, footage was analyzed to test accuracy and workflows.

Updated May 10

Axon revives police facial recognition on bodycams with Edmonton pilot

New Capabilities

As of May 2026: Leading critic of Axon’s Edmonton pilot and its retreat from independent ethics oversight

Edmonton Police became the first North American force to put live facial recognition on officers' body cameras. In December 2025, they switched on a month-long pilot. The AI-enabled bodycams scan the faces of people officers encounter against a watch list of 6,341 individuals with safety flags and 724 people wanted on serious warrants.

Updated May 10

Notable Quotes

"It’s essential not to use these technologies, which have very real costs and risks, unless there’s some clear indication of the benefits." (on the Edmonton pilot)

from From bans to bodycams: how police facial recognition is moving onto the street · Updated May 10

“It’s essential not to use these technologies, which have very real costs and risks, unless there’s some clear indication of the benefits.”

from Axon revives police facial recognition on bodycams with Edmonton pilot · Updated May 10

“It’s not a decision to be made simply by police agencies and certainly not by vendors.”

from Axon revives police facial recognition on bodycams with Edmonton pilot · Updated May 10