CASPER — The Casper City Council on Tuesday approved the purchase of artificial intelligence software for the police department after a successful pilot program this summer.
The council put the $58,800 contract for the AI platform TRULEO on it consent agenda for approval. The approval followed a 60-day test of the software.
The council resolution states the department “determined the software to be a great benefit.”
Police Chief Shane Chaney has said the AI-assisted tools are not new and have been used by law enforcement agencies for several years.
The test of the technology in Casper involved analysis of officer body-cam video that helps department leaders identify interactions that warrant additional review whether for training or for commendation.
“Technology has long supported modern policing, and artificial intelligence is another step in that progression,” Chaney said in June. “Our goal is not to replace the judgment or experience of our people. It is to give officers, supervisors and tele-communicators better tools to understand their work, identify opportunities for improvement and spend more time serving the public.”
In a memo to council for Tuesday’s meeting, Chaney said the department began the trial May 11 and the found the tool useful.
“This enhanced review capability is expected to provide supervisors with more consistent insight into key events, including use of force, de-escalation efforts, and officer professionalism,” Chaney said.
He said the department also found the tool also can offer a reduction in report writing time through “AI assisted documentation.”
Chaney said the tool will not result in changes to when an officer uses a body camera to record interactions and the department will retain ownership of all footage associated with the cameras.
Support Tool
“TRULEO outputs will serve as supporting tools only,” Chaney said. “Humans review professional judgment, and existing supervisory and investigative processes will remain the standard.”
Funding for the software was already part of the department’s capital project funds approved by the council for fiscal year 2027.
Information provided by TRULEO marketing documents state the software can help patrol officers with reports by prompting key questions and then building a “polished, accurate, ready-to-submit report.”
The software is also advertised to help support officers and detectives through assisting with drafting report narratives, witness statements, and helping answer questions about policies, laws, and previous incidents.
TRULEO can also help “conduct large-scale witness canvassing,” the company states.
The contract approved by the council is for 12 months with a start date from July 1. Licenses cover 79 patrol officers at $50 a month each, 12 investigator positions at $200 a month each, nine command staff at $250 a month each.
Veterans on the department are covered for free and the department saved 21 patrol licenses, seven investigator licenses and five command licenses or $44,400.
The department reported in June that the technology is not a facial-recognition system and is not used to identify, track or create profiles of community members. Access is limited to authorized users, and personally identifiable information is removed from transcripts and analysis.
Dale Killingbeck can be reached at dale@cowboystatedaily.com.
