logo
Can AI help Fresno police do their jobs? Why it could be good and why many are skeptical

Can AI help Fresno police do their jobs? Why it could be good and why many are skeptical

Yahoo23-02-2025
Reality Check is a Fresno Bee series holding those in power to account and shining a light on their decisions. Have a tip? Email tips@fresnobee.com.
For almost a year, the Fresno Police Department has been deploying artificial intelligence to write many of their tens of thousands of police reports.
Fresno is believed to be one of the first and largest U.S. cities to deploy what's known as generative AI to write police reports informed by officers' body-worn cameras. But, while officials say AI has made the often time-consuming practice of writing police reports more efficient, the technology's use has drawn concerns from civil rights groups and defense attorneys.
Officers have been outfitted with body-worn cameras made by Axon Enterprises since 2015. Last April, the department began using Axon's First Draft program to start writing police reports.
The company and Fresno police say the program is meant to be a time saver in the more than 90,000 reports written by Fresno officers in a year. Neither police nor Axon provided proof the cameras save time.
Fresno Chief Mindy Casto said the department does not have a scientific way to calculate time saved, but has estimated a 20% savings.
Officials with Axon said departments average a savings of about 23 minutes per police report.
Casto said the department has rolled the program out slowly, only using the software on misdemeanors, excluding more sensitive crimes like domestic violence or resisting arrest.
'I think the value is only going to grow as we expand the program, but I want to be very cautious in the roll out to make sure we've mastered it before we start delving into the more serious crimes,' Casto said.
Those working outside of law enforcement say they're concerned adding AI into the mix could violate the rights of citizens and complicate holding officers accountable.
The body cameras officers turn on during calls for service immediately send the information collected to the police department's cloud — remote servers that collect large amounts of information.
Axon's software then writes a 'first draft' of the encounter into a format that fits police reports within about three to five minutes after an officer ends the recording, according to Noah Spitzer-Williams, Axon's senior principal product manager of generative AI.
The AI is not meant to do all of the work, he said. Each officer is supposed to review the report, add details and respond to prompts during the process.
'At the end of the day, the officer owns the final words of the report, but draft one is here to kind of give you a good head start,' he said. 'They make their edits, they sign off on it, and they're back out in the field.'
Some officers may even dictate details they are seeing during the call so that the AI can include them in the first draft,Spitzer-Williams said.
Axon has had a technology-testing relationship with Fresno Police Department in exchange for steep discounts. Fresno became a 'development partner' with Axon in 2017 and has access to its new technologies for 'little to no cost to the city,' according to city records.
Former Police Chief Paco Balderrama discussed the Axon partnership during the June 2024 city budget hearings.
'We're very proud of that because we have been cutting-edge as far as technology, as far as tasers, body-worn cameras, drones,' he said. 'And we've even helped developed a lot of different products, three that I can think of right now, that we are one of the very first in the world to utilize.'
He said the department gets 'about a $19 million break' compared to agencies that do not have a development partnership.
The Fresno City Council approved a five-year $18.3 million contract with Axon last year, which included about $1.3 million for the First Draft program.
Axon representatives declined to say whether Fresno is the largest city using the AI reports, citing privacy concerns.
Some other cities known to be using the technology include California towns like San Mateo, East Palo Alto and Campbell, all of which are smaller than Fresno. Other cities include Fort Collins, Colorado; and Lafayette, Louisiana.
Experts, defense attorneys and civil rights groups remain concerned about how AI reports are used and what that could mean for the civil rights of the accused.
The American Civil Liberties Union has come out against AI reports, citing the potential for warping the memories of officers, a potential for bias AI has shown and transparency, among other reasons.
The King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office in Washington was concerned enough to send a memo to police departments in September telling officers to not use AI in reports, citing the potential for errors.
Defense attorney Jeffery Hammerschmidt of Fresno said he has not seen an AI police report so far in court, but says attorneys often use AI themselves. But, as police should, attorneys must be diligent in double-checking the work.
'It can be a good tool but it can't substitute the officer's work,' he said. 'If an officer was using it as a shortcut, I'm going to find those errors and use it to my advantage to find the truth.'
As a private defense attorney, he said he reviews reports and body-worn camera footage often to find inconsistencies. That could be harder on the Fresno County Public Defender's Office.
'It's very different for the public defender's office with their caseload to thoroughly review all the camera footage,' he said.
Requests by The Bee to speak about the topic went unanswered by the Public Defender's Office.
An AI startup called JusticeText is also developing the use of AI in reviewing body-camera footage, which public defenders in places like Sacramento and Modesto have used.
Axon's program uses ChatGPT, but Axon's representatives say their version is stripped of the kind of creativity shown in the chatbot version available online.
It is not supposed to come to any conclusions, which are called 'hallucinations' when they are inaccurate. That potential for hallucinations is a concern among skeptics.
The new technology has the potential to affect civil liberties and hurt the public trust, and that requires officers to be diligent and not take shortcuts, according to Paul D. Knothe, a partner with Liebert Cassidy Whitmore in Los Angeles. The firm advises police agencies across the state.
'The computer is trained on data generated by humans, so it will reflect our biases and, in some cases, magnify the biases,' he said. 'So that's why a human check on it is critically important.'
He said many agencies would benefit from requiring police officers to save the first draft spit out by the program for comparison against the final draft submitted. That would show errors introduced by the program and, at the same time, prevent an officer who might try to blame their errant actions on the AI.
Casto, who was in an interim position until being announced as full-time chief on Feb. 13, has said she wants to improve Fresno officers' response to non-emergency calls.
'I think for any chief, (AI) is a fantastic tool, especially in a very large, busy agency,' she said. 'Here where we're just constantly under the gun on calls for service, it could be a game changer for the kind of service that we deliver.'
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Own AppLovin (APP) Stock? This Is the 1 Thing to Watch Now.
Own AppLovin (APP) Stock? This Is the 1 Thing to Watch Now.

Yahoo

time19 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Own AppLovin (APP) Stock? This Is the 1 Thing to Watch Now.

Key Points AppLovin stock has soared in recent years with strong revenue growth and growing investor confidence. The company succeeded in the mobile gaming market but now has greater ambitions. 10 stocks we like better than AppLovin › AppLovin (NASDAQ: APP) is an advertising-technology (adtech) stock that's up nearly 1,200% over just the last two years, as of this writing. These incredible gains were fueled by stunning revenue growth and an extraordinary surge in investor confidence in the underlying business. AppLovin's revenue has increased by more than 250% over the last five years, which is a strong compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 20%. As for investor confidence, consider the valuation for AppLovin stock. Five years ago, it traded at about 10 times its sales. Now it trades at more than 20 times sales. This higher valuation suggests that investors view the business more favorably than they used to and are consequently willing to pay a higher price to be a part-owner. In 2025, AppLovin stock is up another 10% year to date. And investors may be wondering what to think about this business now. Well, here's the one thing that investors should be watching as the rest of the year plays out. But first, here's what AppLovin does AppLovin's Axon software helps apps find users and generate revenue. Some apps monetize users by displaying ads and others find users by buying ad slots. The platform is powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and, if revenue growth is any indication, it's been quite effective. AppLovin's growth has been fueled by its AI software business. And this high-margin platform has helped its profits considerably. In the first quarter of 2025, for example, the company's revenue jumped 40% year over year to $1.5 billion. But its Q1 gross margin jumped to 82% from 72% in the prior-year period -- that's massive. Moreover, AppLovin's Q1 operating expenses dropped in various areas. For starters, sales and marketing expenses were down 19% from the first quarter of 2024. Likewise, research and development spending went down by 21%. Granted, many investors would like to see a technology company spend money on research to stay in front of competition, which may be a valid concern. But the point is that AppLovin's profits are soaring as it grows because of management's fiscal discipline. The chart below shows just how much profit metrics such as free cash flow and earnings per share (EPS) outpaced revenue growth over the past year. What to watch with AppLovin Based on all the above, I believe it's fair to say that AppLovin has been tremendously successful at what it does. And here's the thing: AppLovin has really only been addressing one part of the advertising market, which is mobile video games. But that's now changing. In 2025, AppLovin is greatly expanding its market and this is what investors need to be watching for the remainder of the year. AppLovin is expanding beyond the world of mobile apps and into web-based advertising. And the company is expanding beyond video games into other areas such as connected TV and e-commerce. The point is, AppLovin has succeeded with its first opportunity and now it's setting its sights on a much bigger prize. Should it succeed with this larger opportunity, AppLovin could certainly be a market-beating business from here. Stocks that outperform the S&P 500 often have strong growth rates and profitability. AppLovin could feasibly deliver on both over the long term if it can make the jump from mobile gaming. If AppLovin struggles, things could be more challenging for shareholders. As mentioned, the stock trades at more than 20 times sales, which assumes a measure of strong growth in coming years. If its software only works with the niche market of mobile gaming, it may not sustain the level of growth that investors expect, which could cause the stock to underperform. For what it's worth, I believe that AppLovin deserves the benefit of the doubt as it expands. Many doubted the company could do what it did in mobile gaming. It proved the doubters wrong once and I wouldn't be surprised if it did it again. That said, I don't have a crystal ball so investors will want to watch for signs that AppLovin's expanded strategy is working as 2025 plays out. AppLovin is expected to report financial results for the second quarter of 2025 on Aug. 6. Should you invest $1,000 in AppLovin right now? Before you buy stock in AppLovin, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and AppLovin wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $636,628!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,063,471!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,041% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 183% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of July 21, 2025 Jon Quast has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends AppLovin. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Own AppLovin (APP) Stock? This Is the 1 Thing to Watch Now. was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data

Surveillance tech company Flock Safety opens offices in Boston
Surveillance tech company Flock Safety opens offices in Boston

Boston Globe

time5 days ago

  • Boston Globe

Surveillance tech company Flock Safety opens offices in Boston

The Boston office, opened Tuesday, is Flock's first expansion outside of its home in Atlanta. The new office will focus on sales and engineering. Advertisement Flock's co-founder and chief people officer Paige Todd said that opening a new location in Seaport was an easy decision. The company recently hired senior sales officers from Boston, who advocated for an office in the city. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Flock Safety co-founder and chief people officer Paige Todd AMY JONATHAN EAKIN_ Boston, they said, offered its access to university graduates and technology partners, especially in artificial intelligence and engineering. Flock's largest rival, the taser maker Axon, also opened an office in Boston last year. 'It's always a good sign to see a company is choosing to expand in Boston,' Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce spokesperson Casey Baines said in an interview. 'Our talent and workforce is going to benefit.' Flock was founded in 2017 by Georgia Tech alums, Garrett Langley, and Matt Feury, and Todd, initially building surveillance cameras by hand. The company later created a platform that centralizes data collected from Flock's cameras and makes the data easy to share with other user Advertisement Donald Maye, head of operations at the tech research company IPVM, said Flock has modeled its technology after social media platforms, which become more powerful as more users join. More than 5,000 law enforcement agencies use Flock's platform, according to the company. 'They aggressively invest in sales and marketing,' Maye said. 'They used the engine of developing relationships with police departments and using those relationships to sell other police departments.' Flock's ALPR cameras are scattered across the state and country and are monitored by local law enforcement agencies. Those agencies can 'opt-in' to share or receive data from other agencies — including from other states — creating a 'network' of centralized license plate data. Flock says the system automatically erases that data after 30 days, although it may keep it for further investigations. Flock provides flexibility to how law enforcements choose to use the technology, Todd said. If an agency decides it wants data to be erased after seven days, it could change the settings to do so. Agencies can also opt-in for a 'transparency portal,' a public webpage with general information on the agency's use of Flock devices, such as how many cameras they use and how many motor vehicles are logged in each month. Some agencies also allow access to their audit logs, which show each time an officer looks up information in the Flock system. Todd said Flock is aware of the controversial aspect of their products. Advertisement 'It is a daily conversation,' Todd said. 'How do we ensure privacy is protected while also giving law enforcement the tools they need to solve crime?' The American Civil Liberties Union calls the technology's ability to track every person regardless of whether they committed a crime unconstitutional. Without clear state policies, law enforcement agencies can abuse the centralized system, said Kade Crockford, director of the Technology for Liberty Program at ACLU Massachusetts. Officers with access to the system can search for any license plate they desire, even without a warrant. Officers could use the system to track women who travel out-of-state to seek abortion care, look up undocumented individuals, or even — as in one reported case — track an ex-wife, said Crockford. 'Privacy is not controversial,' said Crockford. 'I have no problems with companies doing business in Boston. I just want to make sure that lawmaking and public policy is done in the interest of residents and the public.' Flock has recently expanded its products beyond its cameras. It also developed gunshot sound detection sensors and in April invested in a drone system to aid in car pursuits. Todd said the company is looking to collaborate with other tech companies in Boston as it continues to grow. In New England, only Massachusetts and Rhode Island are without laws regulating the use of license plate recognition systems. Earlier this year, state Representative Steven Owens, Democrat of Watertown, filed the Drivers Privacy Act, which would limit how long data could be stored and prevent agencies from tracking activity protected by the First Amendment. Yogev Toby can be reached at

Citizen will share crime videos with the NYPD
Citizen will share crime videos with the NYPD

The Verge

time6 days ago

  • The Verge

Citizen will share crime videos with the NYPD

Mayor Eric Adams announced over the weekend that New York City will send users real-time public safety alerts based on their specific location through the crime-tracking app Citizen. The city also announced that public safety agencies, like the New York City Police Department, Fire Department, and Emergency Management, will have access to a portal to review footage shared by users on Citizen. Citizen's verified partner program for cities like New York is tied to a partnership with Axon's (formerly known as Taser) Fusus platform, the 'real-time crime center' it acquired last year. Axon announced a partnership with Ring in April that allows law enforcement to request access to video footage from owners' security cameras in a certain area during a certain time. At the same time, it also announced an integration with Citizen to support sending alerts and pulling in public videos from Citizen's users. According to Citizen, users who don't want their videos shared directly can opt out in the app's settings, but all videos posted are still 'viewable and downloadable by the public.' Adams said the new NYC Public Safety account on Citizen will send notifications about public safety, weather emergencies, and major incidents based on a user's neighborhood, ZIP code, or borough. Citizen lets users report potential safety incidents, share videos, and broadcast live footage from within its app. It also says it can send alerts to nearby mobile devices 'within seconds' of a 911 call or a user report, and also offers a premium safety line. Citizen already allows law enforcement to obtain information from its app as long as they have a warrant, but it also offers the ability for police to get data 'without delay' in case of emergencies. It originally launched under the name 'Vigilante' in 2016, but the app was booted from the App Store for promoting vigilantism, TechCrunch reported at the time. The app later relaunched as Citizen and has faced heavy criticism in the years since, with some arguing it fuels fear in communities. In 2021, Citizen CEO Andrew Frame came under fire for encouraging users to hunt down the wrong person suspected of starting a California wildfire.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store