The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office is implementing artificial intelligence technology. Officials say it’s the first agency in New Mexico to utilize AI in this way. The system works with body cameras, transcribing audio and summarizing incidents to reduce paperwork and speed up case processing.“It should be a force multiplier and assisting the deputy with their job to cut down on tasks,” said Sheriff John Allen. “Are deputies going to be completely dependent? No, that’s not what we want.”Allen emphasizes that the new tools are meant to support, not replace, law enforcement officers. First, the AI tech can automatically generate the first draft of a police report by transcribing body camera audio. It also translates conversations in real time into more than 50 languages, helping deputies better understand individuals and respond with the assistance of AI.“You figure a deputy in a day spends hours on paperwork, taking them out of the field to answer to another call,” Allen said.He also pointed to the technology’s potential in helping identify suspects more quickly. “You get a description of someone that says they’re wearing, for instance, a red hoodie and black pants. All of a sudden, when you’re in law enforcement, you see 50 people wearing the same thing. The body cam will be able to cut down a lot of those tasks,” he said.Despite these potential benefits, critics have raised several concerns about how the technology operates and the risks it may pose.“We know the technology is not good when it comes to racial stereotypes, when it comes to gender stereotypes, when it comes to behavioral stereotypes — how an individual is supposed to act or not act,” said Sonia Gipson-Rankin, professor of law at the University of New Mexico.In addition to concerns about field use, there are questions about how AI-generated reports will be handled in the judicial process.“We have a lot of things that we will look at in the criminal procedure space within the courtroom in terms of how evidence is submitted, how information is gathered, and one’s ability to really have the right to dig in,” Gipson-Rankin said.She also voiced concerns about the transparency and accountability of the system itself.“What part of the transcription will be AI-generated? What part will be human-generated? Do we have any logs or evidence or an audit trail to determine what came from the AI versus what came from law enforcement?” Gipson-Rankin said. She added, “We already know that the technology is good for some people. And in further response, technology is bad for other people. It struggles with diversity of accents. It struggles with diversity of intonation. It can make summaries of word choices that mean something different than what actually occurred.”Sheriff Allen said that every AI-generated report must still be reviewed by a person before it’s officially filed. Officers are required to confirm that all reports reflect accurate accounts of incidents.“We just hired a new compliance officer that sits up here on the fifth floor, and they look through so many things. It (AI tech) mandates accountability,” he said.Allen acknowledged the cost of implementing the technology, noting that the office is seeking federal funding to help reduce the burden on local taxpayers. The AI tools will be rolled out in phases, with initial testing beginning next week, hoping it will be fully implemented in the fall.
The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office is implementing artificial intelligence technology. Officials say it’s the first agency in New Mexico to utilize AI in this way.
The system works with body cameras, transcribing audio and summarizing incidents to reduce paperwork and speed up case processing.
“It should be a force multiplier and assisting the deputy with their job to cut down on tasks,” said Sheriff John Allen. “Are deputies going to be completely dependent? No, that’s not what we want.”
Allen emphasizes that the new tools are meant to support, not replace, law enforcement officers. First, the AI tech can automatically generate the first draft of a police report by transcribing body camera audio.
It also translates conversations in real time into more than 50 languages, helping deputies better understand individuals and respond with the assistance of AI.
“You figure a deputy in a day spends hours on paperwork, taking them out of the field to answer to another call,” Allen said.
He also pointed to the technology’s potential in helping identify suspects more quickly.
“You get a description of someone that says they’re wearing, for instance, a red hoodie and black pants. All of a sudden, when you’re in law enforcement, you see 50 people wearing the same thing. The body cam will be able to cut down a lot of those tasks,” he said.
Despite these potential benefits, critics have raised several concerns about how the technology operates and the risks it may pose.
“We know the technology is not good when it comes to racial stereotypes, when it comes to gender stereotypes, when it comes to behavioral stereotypes — how an individual is supposed to act or not act,” said Sonia Gipson-Rankin, professor of law at the University of New Mexico.
In addition to concerns about field use, there are questions about how AI-generated reports will be handled in the judicial process.
“We have a lot of things that we will look at in the criminal procedure space within the courtroom in terms of how evidence is submitted, how information is gathered, and one’s ability to really have the right to dig in,” Gipson-Rankin said.
She also voiced concerns about the transparency and accountability of the system itself.
“What part of the transcription will be AI-generated? What part will be human-generated? Do we have any logs or evidence or an audit trail to determine what came from the AI versus what came from law enforcement?” Gipson-Rankin said.
She added, “We already know that the technology is good for some people. And in further response, technology is bad for other people. It struggles with diversity of accents. It struggles with diversity of intonation. It can make summaries of word choices that mean something different than what actually occurred.”
Sheriff Allen said that every AI-generated report must still be reviewed by a person before it’s officially filed. Officers are required to confirm that all reports reflect accurate accounts of incidents.
“We just hired a new compliance officer that sits up here on the fifth floor, and they look through so many things. It (AI tech) mandates accountability,” he said.
Allen acknowledged the cost of implementing the technology, noting that the office is seeking federal funding to help reduce the burden on local taxpayers.
The AI tools will be rolled out in phases, with initial testing beginning next week, hoping it will be fully implemented in the fall.
