Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office halts facial recognition plans as Milwaukee Police maintain a department-wide moratorium

Sheriff’s decision pauses adoption of facial recognition tools

The Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office has decided not to move forward with using facial recognition technology, ending months of discussion about whether the tool should be adopted for investigations. Sheriff Denita Ball said the decision followed internal evaluation and discussions with community stakeholders and local advocates, and framed the move as a matter of timing and public confidence rather than a rejection of technology in general.

The announcement comes amid wider local debate over how law enforcement should use emerging surveillance and identification tools, and what oversight should apply before new systems are deployed.

Draft agreement with a vendor did not reach execution

Public records and prior public statements show the sheriff’s office had explored a potential relationship with Biometrica, a company that markets products connected to law enforcement data and identity services. Sheriff’s office officials have said an “agreement of intent” was signed in 2025, but that any contract remained in draft form, was not fully executed, and had not resulted in any technology being provided or any sheriff’s office data being shared with the company.

That distinction matters because it indicates the sheriff’s office decision stops short of terminating an active operational program; instead, it halts movement toward adoption before any formal rollout.

Milwaukee Police Department previously issued its own ban

Earlier in February 2026, the Milwaukee Police Department moved to prohibit the use of facial recognition technology by its personnel. Department leadership described the step as immediate and voluntary, emphasizing that the department would not proceed with acquiring facial recognition software at that time.

The police department’s move followed public testimony and scrutiny over the prospect of obtaining access to facial recognition tools, including debate over privacy, error rates, and guardrails for use. Public reporting in 2025 and 2026 also documented that the department had sought facial recognition searches through other agencies that already had access to such systems, an approach that raised questions about transparency and policy controls.

County oversight framework remains in progress

Separate from the operational decisions by law enforcement agencies, the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors has pursued a policy framework intended to regulate any future acquisition or use of facial recognition technology by county departments. A county board resolution adopted in 2025 called for development of rules covering issues such as when the technology could be used, what data could be collected, limits on retention, restrictions on sharing with third parties, and reporting requirements that would allow public evaluation of impacts and effectiveness.

• The sheriff’s office decision stops short of adopting facial recognition tools while debate over governance continues.
• Milwaukee Police leadership has maintained a department-wide pause, citing public trust concerns.
• County policymakers are working toward a formal set of standards before any future adoption is reconsidered.

The combined effect of the sheriff’s office decision and the police department moratorium is that the two largest local law enforcement agencies serving Milwaukee County are not moving forward with facial recognition deployment at this time.