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West Fargo Police Stand by Clearview AI After Wrongful Arrest

3/31/2026

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Police Defends Clearview AI

West Fargo Police Department defended Clearview AI after Angela Lipps' wrongful arrest.
The department has used Clearview AI since 2020, for theft and fraud.
Capt. Burkhartsmeier emphasized officers first attempt traditional identification before using Clearview AI.
The system compares images against a database of 70 billion photos, with each match requiring verification.
Only two trained officers have access to the tool, which has been used over 250 times in two years.

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Lipps Sues Police

Angela Lipps was released from Fargo jail on Christmas Eve after more than five months in custody in a bank-fraud case tied to facial-recognition technology.
Lipps had never been to North Dakota and was arrested in Tennessee.
Lipps plans to sue.
Her lawyer criticized reliance on facial-recognition AI.
Fargo Police Chief David Zibolski acknowledged missteps but did not apologize as the department revised its AI policy to restore trust.

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Police Defends Clearview AI

West Fargo Police Department defended Clearview AI after Angela Lipps' wrongful arrest.
The department has used Clearview AI since 2020, for theft and fraud.
Capt. Burkhartsmeier emphasized officers first attempt traditional identification before using Clearview AI.
The system compares images against a database of 70 billion photos, with each match requiring verification.
Only two trained officers have access to the tool, which has been used over 250 times in two years.

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