The Village of Mahomet Board of Trustees is set to vote on May 27 on two major technology upgrades for the police department: a nine-year contract for advanced Axon body cameras with artificial intelligence features, and the purchase of a dozen additional Flock Safety license plate reader (LPR) cameras, including a new “live view” model for Main Street. Together, the proposals represent a significant investment in public safety technology, with a combined cost of over $418,000.

The proposed agreement with Axon totals $382,259.79 over nine years and would add new AI-powered capabilities to the department’s existing body-worn and in-car camera systems. The Axon AI Era Plan includes:

• Draft One: AI-assisted report writing that transcribes body camera audio, allowing officers to generate incident reports more quickly and accurately.
• Unlimited Auto Transcription: Automated transcription of all body camera audio, streamlining the process of preparing evidence for court.
• AB4 Live Translation: Real-time translation of non-English conversations, enabling officers to communicate more effectively with residents and visitors who speak other languages.
• Future AI Features: Additional artificial intelligence tools under development will be included for the life of the contract.

These features are expected to reduce report-writing time and human error. Training for officers is included and expected to take about 30 minutes. Data from the cameras will remain the property of the Mahomet Police Department, even though it will be stored by Axon. If the contract ends, the department will transfer the storage elsewhere.

The board will also consider a $36,000 agreement with Flock Safety to add twelve more LPR cameras, bringing the village’s total to 24. The new cameras will be strategically placed to monitor vehicles entering Mahomet.

The proposal includes the deployment of the Flock Condor “live view” camera on Main Street, providing real-time video monitoring during events and festivals.

If approved, the Village expects the new technology to be operational within a few months.

While Mahomet considers adopting these AI tools, other departments have raised concerns about their effectiveness. The Anchorage Police Department recently completed a three-month trial of Axon’s Draft One AI report-writing tool but chose not to move forward with it. Officials cited that the anticipated time savings did not materialize, as officers still needed to carefully review, edit, and supplement the AI-generated reports. The tool’s reliance on audio meant that any visual details not spoken aloud were omitted, requiring additional manual input to ensure accuracy and completeness. Anchorage police say they may revisit the technology as it improves in the future.

Civil liberties groups, including the ACLU, have also raised concerns about AI-generated police reports, pointing to issues of transparency and bias. These organizations warn that automated systems can introduce errors and perpetuate biases present in their training data, potentially impacting the fairness and reliability of official police records.