Starting this fall, interactions between Bernalillo County residents and sheriff’s deputies will be enhanced by artificial intelligence tools that can translate conversations in real-time, write police reports automatically and help deputies access policies instantly.
The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office announced plans to implement a comprehensive suite of AI-powered technologies through Axon’s AI Era Plan, a move that will streamline deputy work and improve community engagement while raising questions about oversight and accountability in an era of expanding police surveillance technology.
The technology rollout, set to begin in phases through the second half of 2025, will equip deputies with tools including automated report writing, real-time language translation for over 50 languages, instant policy reference assistance and video analysis capabilities, all designed to reduce paperwork and improve officer efficiency.
For Bernalillo County’s 668,844 residents — 48.9% of whom are Hispanic — the Real-Time Translation feature could significantly improve police interactions. The tool provides automatic language detection and live audio translations through Axon Body 4 cameras.
The Draft One system will automatically generate initial police report drafts from body-worn camera audio, with Axon claiming officers can save 65-75% of their time typically spent on paperwork. Policy Chat will give deputies instant access to department policies without searching through what one officer described as “two telephone-sized binders.”
Smart Detection technology will automatically identify individuals in video evidence, while Unlimited Auto-Transcribe will convert audio and video content into searchable text for investigations.
Axon Enterprise, formerly TASER International, is an Arizona-based company that has evolved from manufacturing stun guns to controlling more than 80% of the police body camera market after acquiring its main competitor in 2018.
Sheriff John Allen has been discussing AI integration since January 2024, when he told KOB that BCSO was “looking into report writing” and “AI as far as license plate readers” as part of expanding technology goals.
During a September 2024 meeting with the Sheriff’s Office Advisory and Review Board, Allen discussed AI integration including report writing capabilities, emphasizing that “technology is there to supplement law enforcement, not take the place of a human being.”
There is no specific cost information available for BCSO’s implementation, though Axon’s AI Era Plan uses a “fixed annual cost” model with pricing that varies by agency size and services selected.
The announcement comes amid growing criticism from civil liberties organizations about AI use in law enforcement. The American Civil Liberties Union published a six-page white paper explaining why police departments should not use AI to generate police reports, citing concerns that the technology “threatens to exacerbate existing problems in law enforcement.”
Jay Stanley, a senior policy analyst at the ACLU, warns that AI tracking systems raise “many of the same privacy concerns as facial recognition but also introduce new ones” as law enforcement adopts AI-powered surveillance technologies.
Research indicates that AI systems in law enforcement “were implemented without meaningful training, support, or oversight,” creating an “accountability gap,” according to studies by Columbia University and other institutions.
The sheriff’s office press release mentions that BCSO has “adopted a comprehensive AI Use Policy to guide all applications of artificial intelligence,” stating the policy “outlines clear boundaries, prohibits unauthorized data sharing and requires all AI-assisted work to be reviewed for accuracy, relevance and bias.”
The AI implementation comes as BCSO faces staffing challenges. Sheriff Allen said BCSO currently has 108 deputies in the field and hopes to increase that number to 110 or more, meaning fewer than one deputy per 6,000 county residents.
The technology adoption occurs against a backdrop of rising crime in the Albuquerque metro area. According to Albuquerque Police, there were 94 homicides this year, compared to only 30 just a decade ago.
The language translation capabilities address a documented need in New Mexico, where federal courts have ruled that state agencies must determine how many people encounter language barriers while trying to access services.
“This technology allows us to operate smarter, respond faster, and maintain the high standards of service our community expects,” Sheriff Allen said in the press release. “This is about using technology responsibly to give time back to our people, enhance our service to the public, and help ensure safer, smarter policing.”
Allen said that the office is implementing the technologies “with guardrails, transparency and accountability every step of the way,” adding that “we are not chasing trends; we are investing in solutions that make a real difference for both our team and our community.”
The technology suite will begin rolling out in phases through the second half of 2025, though no specific implementation milestones were provided.