Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly becoming a tool for law enforcement, with a growing number of police units adopting AI-powered software to help with one of their most time-consuming tasks: report writing.
These AI systems, such as Axon’s “Draft One” and Truleo’s “Field Notes,” aim to streamline the documentation process. This reportedly allows officers to spend more time on patrol and engaging with the community.
How It Works
The core of this technology is the transcription and analysis of body-worn camera audio. After an incident is recorded, the officer can request the AI to create a report.
The software transcribes the audio from the body camera footage, and extracts key facts and details. It then organizes this information into a structured, narrative-style report.
The draft, which can be generated in minutes, provides a foundation that officers can then review and edit. Later, officers can supplement reports with additional observations that weren’t captured on the audio, such as a suspect’s non-verbal cues.
The officer remains responsible for the final report, ensuring its accuracy and completeness before it’s submitted.
The Benefits of AI for Police Reports
The primary advantage of using AI for report writing is a significant increase in efficiency. Police departments using this technology report a dramatic reduction in the time officers spend on paperwork—sometimes by as much as 70%.
This time savings is particularly valuable in an era of police officer shortages and high call volumes. By automating the initial drafting, officers can reportedly get back on the street faster.
Another key benefit is improved consistency and clarity. AI systems can help to standardize report language and ensure that all necessary details are included. This reduces the likelihood of human error or inconsistencies.
Additionally, the technology ensures minor details from a recorded interaction, which an officer might forget, are included in the draft.
The Challenges and Concerns
Despite the stated benefits, the use of AI in police report writing is not without its challenges and concerns. One of the most significant issues is the potential for bias and inaccuracies.
AI models are trained on vast amounts of data, and if it contains societal biases, the AI may inadvertently perpetuate them.
Critics, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), worry that the technology could misinterpret certain accents or language. This could lead to biased or inaccurate reports that could have serious consequences in the criminal justice system.
There are also transparency and accountability concerns. The EFF noted some AI tools don’t create a record of what’s written by the AI versus what’s edited by the officer.
This makes it difficult to audit reports for errors or bias and complicates the process of holding officers accountable for their actions.
Furthermore, there are worries that officers might over-rely on the AI, simply “rubber-stamping” the draft without a thorough review or even use the technology to obscure their actions.
The reliability of AI, which is known to “hallucinate” or fabricate information, is another major concern.
Falsifying police reports is a serious act of misconduct that undermines the integrity of the justice system itself. When a police officer intentionally includes false information or omits crucial facts in a report, it can lead to devastating consequences for innocent people.
The Impact of False Reports
A police report serves as a foundational document in a criminal case. It’s used by prosecutors to file charges, by judges to make rulings, and by defense attorneys to prepare their case.
When a report is falsified, it can lead to wrongful arrests and convictions, as well as the dismissal of legitimate cases. Fabricated details can mislead the entire legal process, causing a domino effect of injustice.
For a defendant, a false report can mean the loss of their freedom, reputation, and livelihood. For the community, it erodes public trust in law enforcement. It also consequently makes people less likely to cooperate with officers or report crimes.
While the reasons vary, police officers may falsify reports to justify an illegal search or arrest, cover up misconduct, or strengthen a weak case.
A culture of silence, often referred to as the “blue wall of silence,” can also contribute to the problem, as officers may protect colleagues who have committed misconduct.
California lawmakers warn of police relying on AI
California lawmakers are advancing a new bill that would require police officers to disclose when they use generative AI. The measure, which has passed the Senate and is awaiting a vote in the Assembly, is among the first in the country to address law enforcement’s use of AI to produce incident reports, according to KQED.
Kate Chatfield, executive director of the California Public Defenders Association, said she doesn’t know if AI-generated police reports have caused any miscarriages of justice — and that’s part of the concern. “Everybody deserves the right to know how that police report was generated,” Chatfield stated. “We don’t know what we don’t know.”
The law, introduced by state Sen. Jesse Arreguín, D-7, covers all uses of generative AI for report writing. It would require a disclosure at the bottom of each page of an AI-generated police report.
The law would also impact the preservation of the original draft and an “audit trail” that identifies the bodycam footage or audio from which the report was generated.
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