According to an investigative report from KSTP 5 INVESTIGATES, some police departments across the Twin Cities metro area are using artificial intelligence software to create incident reports for police, which begs the question if AI should be trusted to accurately create reports that could be used to convict an individual.
5 INVESTIGATES used a public records request to see if any of the top 20 largest police agencies in the Twin Cities were paying for Axon Enterprise’s AI Suite. Axon Enterprise is the maker of the TASER and outfits thousands of police officers across the country with body cameras, evidence management systems and other equipment. Part of the AI package that is offered to police agencies includes “Draft One,” which is an AI system that generates a report based on what is captured on body camera footage.
The public record’s request revealed that police in Brooklyn Park, Eagan and Bloomington all pay for Axon’s AI suite. Police in Brooklyn Park say the technology should help them improve response times and save on personnel costs.
“Less time spent in the office writing reports means more time out on the road, doing police work,” Brooklyn Park Police Department Inspector Matt Rabe told 5 INVESTIGATES.
AI In The Courtroom
While AI can streamline a number of different processes, many feel like the technology should not be used by police to create official reports that may be entered into evidence in the courtroom. Police will likely say that all reports are reviewed and adjusted for accuracy and the officer’s own version of events, but it still seems like there are other types of policework that could be outsourced before official incident reports.
Moreover, the early stages of AI have been rife with errors. It’s no doubt that the technology is impressive when it works, but the stakes are too high when someone’s freedom may be on the line to leave it to AI. Police shouldn’t be outsourcing their firsthand accounts of an incident to an AI program. There are ways for law enforcement to leverage AI for good, but this doesn’t seem to be it.
If you want a real lawyer to stand up for your rights in the courtroom, let the team at Appelman Law Firm be your guide. To talk to a real attorney about your specific criminal case, pick up the phone and contact our team today. Give Appelman Law Firm a call at (952) 224-2277.
