Large Language Models and Artificial Intelligence for Police Report Writing

Large Language Models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT, are advanced artificial intelligence systems capable of understanding and generating human-like text. They are trained on vast amounts of textual data, enabling them to comprehend context, answer questions, generate summaries, and even engage in meaningful conversations. As these models continue to evolve, their potential applications in various industries, including law enforcement, are becoming more apparent, as are the potential threats . One particularly promising area of application for LLMs in policing is report writing. As many police executives know, not all officers possess strong writing skills, which can lead to inaccurate or incomplete reports. This can have serious consequences for criminal prosecutions, as well as expose departments to civil liability concerns. Implementing LLMs like ChatGPT for report-writing assistance may help address these issues. Even if not fully implemented at the agency level, officers across the country are already using these tools to help in their report generation. Given the stakes, it is wise for agencies to have a sophisticated view and policy on these tools. This paper introduces practitioners to LLMs for report writing, considers the implications of using such tools, and suggests a template-based approach to deploying the technology to patrol officers.