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The Bastrop County Sheriff’s Office now has access to facial-recognition software that officials said can help identify people involved in cases using publicly accessible online facial images.
The $17,100 Clearview AI licensing agreement was approved by commissioners March 24, as previously reported by Community Impact.
The gist
The one-year agreement took effect April 1 and expires March 31, 2027. County documents show the contract is financed with forfeiture funds.
Why it matters
The approval gives the sheriff’s office another investigative tool that officials said can help identify people involved in cases.
In a statement, Clearview AI Chief Legal Officer Thomas Mulcaire said the company’s services provide access to more than mugshots—they also include a database of publicly accessible online facial images and sources showing where the images originally appeared online.
“Vendors offering only mugshot database searches fundamentally cannot and do not provide equivalent functionality to Clearview AI's comprehensive solution due to Clearview AI’s capability to additionally search public online images,” he said.
Notable quote
“Clearview AI is another tool to help with identification of persons involved in a case, helping serve justice for responsible parties,” Bastrop County Sheriff Maurice Cook said during the March 24 meeting. “It is highly effective and accurate.”
