Currie presses for FLPD to implement a policy covering use of facial recognition software.

July 5, 2023 General

This story was produced in partnership with the Pulitzer Center.

Accountability is a key issue for those pressing for written policies. In July, Christina Currie, an attorney and chair of Fort Lauderdale’s Citizens’ Police Review Board, brought the article on facial recognition use on protesters to a meeting with city leaders. She has been pressing ever since for Fort Lauderdale police to adopt a strict policy on the tech.

“It’s important to make sure this is being used for the purposes intended,” Currie said at the time, “that it’s not misused out of idle curiosity or abuse.”

FLPD’s recently released policy draft would bar officers from using facial recognition to surveil people based solely on race and ethnicity, religious beliefs, sexual identity or during “constitutionally protected activities.” Other oversight measures, which Currie says are a good start, include: having supervisors approve search requests to limit use “to investigative purposes,” as well as warning police against “succumbing to confirmation bias and focusing solely on a ‘top’ search result.”

Christina Currie on termination of police chief

March 4, 2022 General

Fort Lauderdale police chief fired relating to allegations stemming from minority promotions.  Attorney Christina Currie used to head the Ft. Lauderdale Citizen Police Review Board which looked into complaints against officers. On the matter of termination, Currie said, “I was really looking forward to the leadership that Chief Scirotto was going to bring. I think our community was really excited changing the culture of what we had experienced here in our police department.”

Court orders Sheriff’s office to release surveillance video to family of deceased, deputies under criminal investigation.

February 10, 2021 General

After a 43-year-old college educated father of 2 young daughters died in custody, Greg Lauer, an attorney for the man’s family, filed and argued an emergency order for the release of jail surveillance footage.   The Court orders Sheriff’s office to turn over surveillance footage under the condition that lawyers keep the video private.  During hearing it’s disclosed that criminal investigation of deputies is open.