Surveillance Accountability

We document the surveillance technology operating in New Orleans, who controls it, and whether its use complies with city law. We publish the records, map the devices, and file complaints when the records show a violation.

NOPD and Project NOLA

In May 2025, The Washington Post reported that the New Orleans Police Department had received real-time facial recognition alerts for roughly two years from Project NOLA, a private nonprofit that operates more than 5,000 cameras in the city, including more than 200 equipped for facial recognition. Chapter 147 of the New Orleans City Code restricts NOPD’s use of facial recognition and requires disclosure of each use to the City Council.

The Perdido Institute is documenting the full scope of that relationship and what has happened since.

• Records. Through the Louisiana Public Records Act we have obtained thousands of pages of email correspondence between NOPD and Project NOLA, spanning March 2023 through November 2025. We publish each production as we receive it.
• Complaints. Where the records show an NOPD officer requesting a facial recognition search or sending images to a private camera network, we file a complaint with the Public Integrity Bureau, the Independent Police Monitor, and the Office of Inspector General, and we track the outcome. We have filed more than 70 complaints to date.
• Drones. NOPD flight logs for January through April 2026, obtained through public records, show 273 drone flights. Seventy-five percent list no reason for the flight.
• License plate readers. We are documenting automated license plate reader deployments in New Orleans, including Flock Safety cameras, and who has access to the data they collect.
• Policy. We have briefed City Council members on facial recognition oversight, and we support the Stop Illegal Surveillance in New Orleans petition, which asks the Council and the Mayor to investigate facial recognition and license plate reader use, end the city’s relationship with Project NOLA, freeze new surveillance purchases, discipline officers who broke the law, and create independent expert oversight of NOPD surveillance.

RETINA: the New Orleans Surveillance Map

RETINA is a public, searchable map of surveillance cameras and automated license plate readers in New Orleans. We build it from public records, vendor documentation, and field documentation. Use it to see what is watching your block, and tell us what we are missing.

The wider surveillance stack

Project NOLA is one network among several. We also track:

• The city’s Real-Time Crime Center and the camera and analytics vendors behind it.
• Automated license plate readers, including who can query the data and how long it is kept.
• NOPD’s drone program, including flight logs and the policies that govern them.
• Any vendor supplying facial recognition or other biometric matching to a public agency in New Orleans.

We review procurements and contracts, file records requests on new deployments, and submit written comment on proposed ordinances.

What the law says

Chapter 147 of the City Code (Surveillance Technology and Data Protection) sets the rules for how city agencies may acquire and use surveillance technology, including limits on facial recognition and reporting requirements to the City Council. NOPD’s own Chapter 43.3 policy on surveillance equipment requires officers to comply with it. We help residents understand what those rules require and how to report a violation.

Report a camera or a violation

If you have seen a new camera, license plate reader, or drone, or you have records showing how surveillance is being used in New Orleans, email us. You do not have to give your name.