New Calif. Law Outlines New AI Police Reporting Guidelines

California law enforcement agencies are preparing for new requirements for using generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools for reporting after the passage of Senate Bill 524, which.

Signed into law on Oct. 10 by Gov. Gavin Newsom, the measure requires police officers to disclose when AI-generated software, such as Axon’s Draft One, assists in creating an official report, according to KVPR-TV. Beginning Jan. 1, all affected reports must include a written disclosure on each page and an audit trail preserving the AI-generated draft, along with its associated body-worn camera footage or audio source.

Draft One, currently in use by departments in Fresno and East Palo Alto, uses AI to transcribe and summarize body-worn camera audio before generating a preliminary narrative that officers can edit and verify. The new law codifies several safeguards, ensuring that officers remain responsible for report accuracy while preserving a record of AI’s role in the drafting process.

Kate Chatfield, executive director of the California Public Defenders Association, which sponsored the bill, said the law ensures transparency for all parties in the justice system.

“Everyone in the legal system—judges, juries, attorneys and the accused—deserve to know who wrote the police report,” she said.

Law enforcement organizations expressed mixed reactions. The Police Officers Research Association of California (PORAC) and the California Police Chiefs Association initially opposed the measure, citing concerns about administrative burdens. But PORAC President Brian R. Marvel said subsequent amendments addressed key issues, reducing potential liability and compliance costs.

Axon, the company behind Draft One, said it supports the law’s focus on transparency. 

“Responsible innovation remains at the core of how Axon designs and delivers new technology,” said company spokesperson Victoria Keough.

California becomes one of the first states to regulate AI use in law enforcement reporting, setting a precedent likely to influence national standards for transparency and accountability in digital policing tools.

This article was written with the assistance of artificial intelligence.