Mounties testing AI to draft police reports in Alberta, B.C.

RCMP in Alberta and British Columbia are testing artificial intelligence to write police reports, potentially transforming how officers document everything from traffic tickets to serious crimes — though not murder investigations.

The pilot program, called Draft One, works by converting audio from body-worn camera footage into written reports that officers then review for errors. The AI requires officers to change at least 10 per cent of the generated text. The program is powered by the same technology as ChatGPT but with reduced "creativity" to minimize factual errors. No AI-written report from Western Canada has yet made it to courtroom, but when one does, it will include a disclosure stating it was produced by AI.

RCMP say the program is designed to determine whether it can reduce time and resources spent on report-writing — officers typically spend 40 per cent of their time on administrative work. The pilot wraps up in August. Calgary Police Service is also testing a real-time translation service from the same developer.

But legal experts have flagged serious concerns. Criminal defence lawyer Jillian Williamson warned that AI-generated reports could complicate bail hearings, trials, civil lawsuits, and insurance claims. "Defence lawyers are going to want to know what parts were created by the officer and what parts were created by the AI system," she said. "It's going to slow the system down." Williamson also flagged the risk that AI might miss nuance in language or context critical to justice proceedings.