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SHERIFF’S OFFICE
BASTROP — Bastrop County officials last month approved new facial recognition technology for law enforcement, adding a powerful but debated tool to criminal investigations.
Commissioners approved a one-year, $17,100 contract March 23 allowing the Bastrop County Sheriff’s Office to use Clearview AI software to help identify individuals in criminal cases. The contract is funded through forfeiture funds and could be added to the county’s budget in future years.
“Our guys think it’s as good as DNA as far as identification,” Sheriff Maurice Cook said. “It’s really the hallmark of where we’re going.”
According to Cook, the software is already in use by other agencies and is considered highly accurate by investigators. The tool offers near-instant results compared to fingerprints or DNA, which must be submitted and processed.
“It’s the best thing that we’ve seen come down for instant recognition,” he said.
According to a statement provided to the court, Clearview AI Chief Legal Officer Thomas Mulcaire said the software searches publicly available images online rather than relying solely on mugshot records.
“ Vendors of fer ing only mugshot database searches fundamentally cannot and do not provide equivalent functionality to Clearview AI’s comprehensive solution,” Mulcaire said.
Mulcaire added the company participates in federal testing through the National Institute of Standards and Technology and reports accuracy rates of about 99%.
At the same time, Clearview AI has faced legal challenges over its data collection practices. The company has been involved in lawsuits and regulatory actions over its use of billions of images scraped from the internet.
Much of the legal scrutiny has centered on laws such as Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act, which requires companies to obtain consent before handling biometric data.
Officials noted Texas has a similar statute, the Capture or Use of Biometric Identifier Act, which also requires consent and safeguards for facial data.
Despite those concerns, a county official said the technology represents “the future of AI” and would be a valuable tool for investigators.
According to county documents, the Sheriff’s Office will implement policies governing the use of the technology.
