ST. PAUL, MN - Some police departments throughout Minnesota are starting to use artificial intelligence (AI) for things like report writing, but the St. Paul Police Department (SPPD) has yet to take the plunge and use Axon Draft One.
They have, however, implemented its first policy on the use of AI, according to Govtech.com. SPPD major crime investigators have begun using AI technology to transcribe interviews with victims, witnesses, and suspects. The recent policy came about because "as a department, we realized that technology is rapidly advancing, and we need to go with the times," St. Paul Police Cmdr. Michele Giampolo said.
Giampolo, who is in charge of the technology unit, added, "We needed to have a policy in place to safeguard ... private data." Erin Hayes, a St. Paul Police Civilian Internal Affairs Review Commission member, said that the community and commission should have had the opportunity to weigh in before SPPD implemented its AI policy.
"I don't want to say that AI shouldn't be used in criminal justice work, because there could be some benefit, but we have to have really good guardrails laid down, and we have to know where the data is going and who is using out data," Hayes said.
Until a couple of years ago, St. Paul's major crime investigators who interviewed victims, witnesses or suspects were tasked with typing transcripts of exactly who said what. The hours-long process entailed investigators listening back to audio from video cameras in interview rooms.
Since the department upgraded the cameras, investigators can now use an automated transcription process. The police department says that is the only way they are using AI in reports at this time.
Police Civilian Internal Affairs Review Commission (PCIARC) member Dan Featherstone, speaking at the commission's November meeting, asked if SPPD intends to use Axon Draft One.
"We have no plan, at least in the short term," replied St. Paul Police Cmdr. John Cajacob, who oversees the internal affairs unit. "I don't know long term. There's not current plan." If the use of Draft One comes up, PCIARC chairperson Sarah Florman said she "would highly recommend" that it's "discussed well in advance of implementation with the commission and ideally with the community."
"There's a lot of bright red flags with that particular technology that concerns me," she added. Cajacob said, based on his conversations with department leadership, "there's no question they'd seek community feedback if they expand AI use to Draft One.
At the St. Paul PCIARC meeting on November 5, Hayes said she appreciated receiving the police department's AI policy, but added, "What I don't appreciate is that this policy was put into place prior to this meeting. To me, I thought we had been on a really good path of collaborating and looking at policy."
Cajacob, the internal affairs commander, said he sent the policy to the PCIARC coordinator on October 13. The policy was then implemented on October 17.
PCIARC Coordinator Sierra Cumberland said she believed it was the department's draft policy on AI when she sent information to the commissioners on October 21 and requested feedback by their November 5 meeting. She said she hadn't been told what date the policy would take effect and didn't know the department had already implemented it.
Police leaders currently using AI technology like Axon Draft One say that it saves time, allowing officers to more quickly get back to patrolling. It uses audio from officers' Axon body cameras and drafts a police report, to which officers are then prompted to add details and check for accuracy.
Draft one does not generate information about what the surroundings look like or what is happening in the body camera video, said Eagan Police Lt. Nate Tennessen. Eagan police are using Draft One for non-felony offenses.
"This sticks to the facts within the transcript of the audio only, so it's objective AI," he said. "It's making no assumptions of the video."
They have, however, implemented its first policy on the use of AI, according to Govtech.com. SPPD major crime investigators have begun using AI technology to transcribe interviews with victims, witnesses, and suspects. The recent policy came about because "as a department, we realized that technology is rapidly advancing, and we need to go with the times," St. Paul Police Cmdr. Michele Giampolo said.
Giampolo, who is in charge of the technology unit, added, "We needed to have a policy in place to safeguard ... private data." Erin Hayes, a St. Paul Police Civilian Internal Affairs Review Commission member, said that the community and commission should have had the opportunity to weigh in before SPPD implemented its AI policy.
"I don't want to say that AI shouldn't be used in criminal justice work, because there could be some benefit, but we have to have really good guardrails laid down, and we have to know where the data is going and who is using out data," Hayes said.
Until a couple of years ago, St. Paul's major crime investigators who interviewed victims, witnesses or suspects were tasked with typing transcripts of exactly who said what. The hours-long process entailed investigators listening back to audio from video cameras in interview rooms.
Since the department upgraded the cameras, investigators can now use an automated transcription process. The police department says that is the only way they are using AI in reports at this time.
Police Civilian Internal Affairs Review Commission (PCIARC) member Dan Featherstone, speaking at the commission's November meeting, asked if SPPD intends to use Axon Draft One.
"We have no plan, at least in the short term," replied St. Paul Police Cmdr. John Cajacob, who oversees the internal affairs unit. "I don't know long term. There's not current plan." If the use of Draft One comes up, PCIARC chairperson Sarah Florman said she "would highly recommend" that it's "discussed well in advance of implementation with the commission and ideally with the community."
"There's a lot of bright red flags with that particular technology that concerns me," she added. Cajacob said, based on his conversations with department leadership, "there's no question they'd seek community feedback if they expand AI use to Draft One.
At the St. Paul PCIARC meeting on November 5, Hayes said she appreciated receiving the police department's AI policy, but added, "What I don't appreciate is that this policy was put into place prior to this meeting. To me, I thought we had been on a really good path of collaborating and looking at policy."
Cajacob, the internal affairs commander, said he sent the policy to the PCIARC coordinator on October 13. The policy was then implemented on October 17.
PCIARC Coordinator Sierra Cumberland said she believed it was the department's draft policy on AI when she sent information to the commissioners on October 21 and requested feedback by their November 5 meeting. She said she hadn't been told what date the policy would take effect and didn't know the department had already implemented it.
Police leaders currently using AI technology like Axon Draft One say that it saves time, allowing officers to more quickly get back to patrolling. It uses audio from officers' Axon body cameras and drafts a police report, to which officers are then prompted to add details and check for accuracy.
Draft one does not generate information about what the surroundings look like or what is happening in the body camera video, said Eagan Police Lt. Nate Tennessen. Eagan police are using Draft One for non-felony offenses.
"This sticks to the facts within the transcript of the audio only, so it's objective AI," he said. "It's making no assumptions of the video."
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