AI Drafts Police Reports: Risks & Benefits

0:00The Royal Canadian Mounted Police kicked off a year-long pilot back in July, testing AI to turn body camera audio into draft incident reports. It's running in eight detachments in British Columbia, and two in Alberta, with a budget of up to $200,000. The tool comes from AXON, the company behind their body cams rolled out late last year. This is the first public nod to the program, tucked into their recent 2026-2027 departmental plan. Those upload just the audio no video, or facial recognition, like some other forces, and they have to edit at least 10% of every draft, fix. Obvious errors, and sign off electronically before submitting. Critics are sounding alarms about AI missing the full picture officers see in here, plus they can't use police discretion. There's real worry over hallucinations where the AI spits out fake facts that can end up in court if not caught. One expert says police and governments are rushing in, dazzled by the tech hype without

1:00solid-proof body cams even deliver. AXON pitches draft one as a time saver, claiming it cuts an hour of paperwork per shift by giving officers a head start, with built-in spots to add details. They tuned it on an open AI model to ditch creative fluff. But it's not perfect, a Utah police report once had an officer turning into a frog from a movie, playing nearby. As the pilot rolls on, it's clear this could reshape how cops handle admin, but only if they nail the safeguards against glitches that hit real lives. Stay informed with Calgary News today, AI-powered updates. I'm Corey, with the story.