In 2013, the Lincoln Police Department (LPD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) (009175). This grants LPD use, for a four-year term, of the DMV’s face recognition system, which searches 8 million driver’s license and ID photos. Because LPD does not have its own face recognition system, it is unlikely it can search mug shots.
The MOU permits LPD to use face recognition for identity theft investigations and “for investigation of criminal activity” more generally, unlike the MOU between the Nebraska State Patrol and the DMV, which limits police searches to identity-related crimes only (009175, 009190). LPD does not need reasonable suspicion to run a search; the MOU states searches may be run “for a case being investigated and/or prosecuted in a criminal manner” (009175).
In response to our public records request, LPD stated it has a use policy, but claimed it is exempt from disclosure under Neb. Rev. Stat. 84-712.05(5) (009171).
The DMV system uses a MorphoTrust face recognition algorithm (011947).
Sources and Notes: Lincoln Police Department (Last updated: September 2016). You can review our scorecard criteria in the Methodology section. Numerical citations, e.g. (123456), refer to official records available by clicking "View Documents" below.