News Summary
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department is testing an AI program called Draft One to enhance police report efficiency. By using Axon body camera audio, the program produces initial drafts of incident reports, significantly reducing report writing time from 30 minutes to just 5 minutes. While promising productivity improvements, human oversight remains essential to ensure report accuracy before submission. Following a trial with 20 deputies, the department plans to expand the program’s application, reflecting a progressive approach to integrating AI in law enforcement operations.
Pima County, Arizona – The Pima County Sheriff’s Department is currently experimenting with innovative artificial intelligence (AI) technology to streamline police reporting processes. Since the beginning of 2025, the department has been testing a program called Draft One from the company Axon, aimed at enhancing the efficiency of report generation for deputies.
Draft One utilizes audio captured from Axon body cameras alongside data provided by deputies to automatically produce initial drafts of incident reports. Following this generation, the responsibility of reviewing and confirming the reports’ accuracy rests with the deputies, ensuring that all submissions are complete and correct before they are finalized. Initial drafts generated by Draft One cannot be directly submitted as case reports, highlighting the importance of human oversight in this process.
Captain Derek Ogden of the Pima County Sheriff’s Department noted that the use of Draft One significantly reduces the time required for deputies to complete case reports. The average time for report writing has dropped from approximately 30 minutes to just 5 minutes, enabling law enforcement personnel to focus more on essential duties while expediting tedious administrative tasks. This software is estimated to save each deputy around 60 minutes per shift, thereby improving overall productivity within the department.
The exploration of AI tools like Draft One is part of the Pima County Sheriff’s Department’s broader initiative to boost productivity and operational efficiency, particularly in light of the resource limitations that many law enforcement agencies across the nation face. The integration of AI-assisted processes is seen as a promising avenue for addressing these challenges.
Max Isaacs from The Policing Project has noted that while AI holds significant potential to enhance resource efficiency within police departments, there is currently a lack of rigorous data supporting the effectiveness of such programs. Concerns have been raised regarding the accuracy of AI outputs and the possible ramifications of inaccuracies, such as the risk of false arrests. To combat these risks, Captain Ogden has underlined the necessity of human review for all documents generated by the Draft One program, ensuring that flawed AI outputs do not compromise reporting integrity.
Following a successful trial run involving 20 deputies, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department is poised to expand the application of Draft One to include corrections officers, signaling a forward-thinking approach to policing and administrative functions. The law enforcement agency continues to investigate various AI technologies in hopes of creating a more efficient workflow while maintaining public safety and accountability.
As the Pima County Sheriff’s Department navigates this new territory of AI implementation, the future of policing may well be shaped by the integration of these advanced technologies, provided that their application is carefully monitored and validated through solid data.
Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic
- KVOA: AI Software for Pima County Sheriff’s Department
- Tucson Sentinel: Project Blue Data Report
- KGUN9: Pima Supes Move Data Center Plan Forward
- Fox Business: Arizona City Defeats Data Center Project
- AZ Central: Tucson City Council Rejects Project Blue Proposal
- Wikipedia: Artificial Intelligence
- Google Search: Pima County Sheriff
- Google Scholar: AI in Law Enforcement
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Law Enforcement
- Google News: AI Policing
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