Fargo police cite errors in use of facial-recognition hits, tighten procedures after Angela Lips inquiry

Fargo Police Chief said the department has identified procedural errors tied to how a potential facial-recognition match surfaced during the investigation into Angela Lips, and announced a temporary directive and policy changes intended to limit future reliance on nonstate systems.

The chief told reporters the department "doesn't have any equipment that does facial-recognition artificial intelligence at the Fargo Police Department," and that the image linked to Ms. Lips first came from a West Fargo Police Department submission to a state-run center. "We certainly apologize for any effect or adverse effect that this has had on trust in the community," the chief said, acknowledging mistakes and promising further corrective steps.

Why it matters: Officials said West Fargo’s locally run AI system produced a potential hit that was forwarded to Fargo detectives; investigators mistakenly assumed surveillance photos from Fargo’s case had accompanied the submission, strengthening the perceived…