RCMP testing AI software to write police reports

RCMP across Alberta and British Columbia are testing an AI system that drafts police reports from body-camera footage, converting audio directly into written documentation that officers then review and sign off on.

The program, called Draft One and developed by Axon, works by transcribing officer interactions recorded on body-worn cameras. The AI generates a report that officers must check for errors. To ensure genuine review happens, the system intentionally plants obvious errors throughout — officers are required to change at least 10 per cent of what's produced before signing off.

The pilot runs through August. RCMP say the goal is to determine whether the software can reduce the time and resources officers spend on administrative work. Police typically spend about 40 per cent of their day writing reports.

"Using Draft One is not intended to free police officers from administrative burden or remove the need to write reports entirely," RCMP spokeswoman Marie-Eve Breton said. "We are piloting this software to determine if using it can decrease the time and resources needed to create reports."

No AI-written report has reached a courtroom in Western Canada yet. When one does, it will include a disclosure stating the report was produced by AI, and the officer can testify to its accuracy. Draft One is powered by the same model underlying ChatGPT, though RCMP say it's tuned to minimize factual errors known as hallucinations.

Calgary police recently announced testing a separate Axon tool — a real-time translation service. Criminal defence lawyer Jillian Williamson from Calgary said the shift raises significant questions for the legal system. "This is herculean," she said. "I don't think we can stop this. The legal system has to adapt to the reality of AI being utilized."