Crestview Police Department set to roll out AI-written body camera reports in 2026 Collin Bestor January 7, 2026 1:33 pm Crestview CRESTVIEW — Inside a new $1.2 million contract between the Crestview Police Department and Axon, a body camera provider, hides a $120,000 charge that will allow the department to provide body camera reports generated by artificial intelligence software. Approved by the Crestview City Council on Dec. 8, the AI tool is designed to draft police reports from body-camera footage and to reduce the time officers spend typing. Crestview Police Chief Stephen McCosker said the department views the software primarily as a time-saver. “We believe that it’ll be a force multiplier, right, decreasing the amount of time that the officers are spending to actually physically type the reports out,” he said. The goal, he added, is to “increase their ability to do proactive policing.” Artificial intelligence systems have drawn national scrutiny as more agencies test them, particularly after a police department in Utah mistakenly reported that an officer turned into a frog. McCosker emphasized that Crestview’s software will not automatically submit reports and that multiple layers of human review are still required. “No, it did not get submitted as is,” he said. “They need to be fact checked… and then it does not alleviate the responsibility of the sergeant to proofread the reports.” The chief said he consulted the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, which has been using similar technology. “One of the people that...
Read More
