August 29th 2024.
Recent research has shown that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology has significantly reduced unprofessional behavior within the Aurora Police Department. A team of outside researchers from the University of South Carolina and Clemson University found that incidents of officers using profanity, insults, threats, and inappropriate language decreased by 57% among 220 Aurora police officers during a six-month period from July to December.
This was the first time that empirical data was collected to demonstrate the impact of AI software on police behavior. The results were obtained after the city of Aurora decided to stop using the system, which was provided by AI company Truleo, in March. The city's one-year contract with Truleo, worth $250,000, had come to an end.
The decision to use Truleo's AI software was made during the tenure of interim chief Art Acevedo, who had previously worked as a strategic advisor for the company. He believed that the technology could help identify both good and bad policing practices. However, after Acevedo's departure in January, the city chose not to renew the contract due to concerns about the accuracy of the software's transcriptions.
The software works by analyzing the audio of officers' body-worn camera footage, flagging any language that it deems unprofessional. It was designed to highlight both poor behavior and instances of good policing, but does not take into account an officer's tone or use of force.
Although the city has decided not to continue using Truleo's services, the company's CEO, Anthony Tassone, believes that the Colorado Attorney General should mandate its use within the Aurora Police Department. He argues that it would be more beneficial for the department to contract with Truleo through the attorney general's office, rather than directly.
The independent study conducted by researchers examined over 124,000 videos from body-worn cameras and divided the officers into three groups: a control group, a self-auditing group, and a supervisor-mediated group. The self-auditing group saw a 48% decrease in unprofessional behavior, while the supervisor-mediated group saw a 67% decrease.
The research also looked at the impact of the software on the Richland County Sheriff's Department in South Carolina, where they found an 82% increase in highly professional behavior over a six-month period. Highly professional behavior is defined as not only using appropriate language but also offering explanations to the public before taking action.
The researchers praised the Aurora Police Department for being open to the study of this new technology, acknowledging that it can be challenging to be at the forefront of such advancements. They also emphasized that these are preliminary results and that the full study has yet to go through the peer review process.
Tassone sees the study as proof that AI technology can improve professionalism within police departments, regardless of their current state. He believes that Truleo's services could benefit the department in the long term, and hopes that they will reconsider their decision not to renew their contract.
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