Axon has announced that the Axon AI Research team has been selected as the official AI partner for the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). Axon competed against several other AI teams and vendors and was ultimately chosen to work with LAPD.

LAPD partnered with Justice & Security Strategies Inc. (JSS), the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), and the Los Angeles Police Foundation to organize a 14-month trial to evaluate new methods of improving law enforcement video analysis. Vendors were invited to present their machine learning solutions to the LAPD during the initial phase of the trial. They were evaluated based on their technology’s accuracy as well as their overall ability to enhance the department’s video analysis at scale.

Under the new partnership, Axon will deliver AI-based video analysis that accelerates and enhances LAPD's existing video review processes. The enhancements include categorization of body-worn video and review workflows that will ultimately reduce the labor hours required to review body-worn camera footage.

“In the past year alone, we have accumulated more than 33 years' worth of video data to analyze,” says LAPD's Sergeant Daniel Gomez. “Reducing the time it takes for our staff to review footage is a priority for us so we can invest more time and energy in the field. Following the competitive trial, we concluded that Axon's AI Research team developed the most accurate machine learning models with the greatest potential to bring operational efficiencies and identify improvements to the department's training program.”

“We're excited to continue working with the LAPD to bring our machine learning solutions to law enforcement,” said David Luan, Director of AI at Axon. “In running this competition, the LAPD demonstrated its commitment to advancing new technology that will save significant time and reduce paperwork, a major step forward for law enforcement as a whole.”

The project was funded by a grant from the National Institute of Justice and the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). The evaluation team was composed of members from the LAPD, JSS, DOJ and UCLA.