Stockton police roll out AI-powered body cameras that translate over 50 languages in real time

Stockton police officers are now equipped with body cameras that can translate conversations in real time, making the city one of the first major law enforcement agencies in California to deploy the technology department-wide.

CBS News Sacramento spoke with Stockton Police Chief Stanley McFadden about why the department decided to adopt the new Axon AI-powered translator technology after officers have already spent a decade wearing body cameras.

"To bring something to our diverse community like this is a game-changer," McFadden said.

The department has issued the AI-enabled body cameras to more than 300 sworn officers. The move comes in a city that ranks among the most diverse in the nation, with almost half of the population speaking a language other than English at home.

"It's the number one reason why we got this, so we could provide a service to everyone," McFadden said.

Chief McFadden said language barriers can present challenges during emergency calls and investigations, something Stockton police officers encounter regularly.

"With this, over 50 languages, that's just going to help us get that information faster, get that message spread out to our responding officers as well," Officer David Scott said.

The technology is designed to help officers communicate in situations where every second counts and waiting for a translator may not be practical.

"Having this allows us to get that critical information that can save lives," McFadden said.

When activated, the body camera can detect the language being spoken, translate it in real time and facilitate a back-and-forth conversation between officers and community members.

"It's just going to streamline how we do business," Scott said. "The information is going to come out a lot quicker. The response is going to help get that information to the responding officers so they can respond properly."

But, for the chief, having this tech is just the tip of the iceberg.

"Our job is to find a way to mitigate situations, to reach every community member," McFadden said. "It's a never-ending challenge for us that we will continue to onboard new technology or new resources that can help us do this. But this is a great step in the right direction."