Thaddeus Johnson, a former police officer, is a senior fellow at the Council on Criminal Justice and teaches criminology at Georgia State University. Natasha Johnson is a faculty member at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State. No Paywall: “Imagine strolling down a crowded sidewalk when police officers stop a man. In seconds, their body cameras, connected to facial recognition software, scan his face. A match appears: He’s wanted for robbery, and officers promptly arrest him. For understaffed police departments, this scenario showcases the promise of facial recognition technology (FRT). But critics worry it could turn cities into surveillance zones, invading privacy and unfairly targeting communities of color. The real problem, though, isn’t the technology, but how it’s used. Our research shows that when applied responsibly, facial recognition saves lives. Facing staff shortages and low clearance rates, many law enforcement agencies are turning to FRT to help solve crimes faster. Cities such as New York and Los Angeles pair it with street cameras and license plate readers. In Chicago, police use smart-video analytics to link body cameras with the technology for real-time monitoring. Police credit this high-tech system with helping to catch dangerous criminals, including violent gang members in Maryland and rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021…”