Winnipeg police adding AI translation tool to body

Winnipeg police adding AI translation tool to body-worn cameras

Program has dozens of languages in database, officers hope it will improve communication with public

Winnipeg police are adding an artificial intelligence translation tool to the body-worn cameras officers are currently testing.

The program has more than 50 languages in its database and will allow officers to interact with the public in the language of their choice.

"If an officer should come across somebody and not even recognize the language that they're speaking, they simply have to push one small button, and the device will hear and recognize that language and then translate it to English," said George Labossière, deputy chief of operations with the Winnipeg Police Service.

"The officer can then answer back in English — or French, if they're French-speaking. And it'll translate into the language of that individual they're dealing with."

The police service has not yet activated the translation feature. About 40 officers are currently using the cameras as a pilot project, and they're being trained on the new translation program. The service hopes to launch it by Friday.

Labossière hopes the tool will help improve communication with the public.

"I think it will provide many people … the opportunity to express themselves in their home native language," he said. "And the reason I think that's important is because when you're dealing with [an] emergency situation, the emotions are high. It might be difficult to articulate what you want to say. To let them say it in their native tongue is so much easier."

Michael Weinrath, professor emeritus at the University of Winnipeg's criminal justice department, said the technology could help police with de-escalation.

"There's some potential to eliminate serious incidents and perhaps even deaths in some situations," he said.

Weinrath said AI translation could also assist police investigations, as long as the information is carefully verified.

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That could be particularly important in the moments immediately after an incident, when someone's recollection of events is more accurate, he said.

Testing so far has produced translation accuracy rates in the low-to-mid 90 per cent range, but Labossière said officers will still be expected to verify important information. The Calgary Police Service also launched the program earlier this year.

"Winnipeg, Canada [have] become increasingly diverse," Weinrath said. "It seems like a slam dunk that you would be able to improve your communication with citizens through the use of this technology."

Critics of the use of AI by police say the public has a right to know when technology such as this is being used.

"We're moving into an era where technology and surveillance is occurring in ways that legislators, courts and others never contemplated," said Shakir Rahim, director of the criminal justice program for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association.

"When these new technologies are being deployed, it's critically important that they're evaluated for charter compliance, and also that the public knows what is going on, and so can provide input into their rollout."

The Winnipeg Police Service has set up an AI committee with experts from the University of Manitoba who are providing advice and oversight, Labossière said.

"When it comes to serving the needs of the public, I think it's important that we do use these tools, but not in a way to infringe on people's rights and privacies," he said.

For example, the service is taking steps to protect the video captured by the cameras. It's using AI to automatically redact sensitive information captured on screens.

"If I happen to be talking to you and your cellphone's out, and my camera picks it up, it won't have that information on your phone for others to see," Labossière said.

The same technology can cover information displayed on computers and tablets — something Labossière says is particularly important when officers are working in hospitals, workplaces or other settings where sensitive information might be visible.

Video recordings are stored securely on cloud technology, and access is restricted, although they can be provided to the Crown through disclosure.

The service's body-camera pilot is scheduled to run until late December. Winnipeggers will have a chance to weigh in on the cameras next month, when the police service opens a survey.

"It gives the public an opportunity to voice any concerns they might have or give us any feedback … that they may want to share with police about privacy and their rights," Labossière said.

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