Long Beach police don\u2019t want their job performance judged by artificial intelligence, and the city has agreed to hold off on doing so \u2014 at least for now.<\/p>\n
The city\u2019s new contract with its police union, which the City Council approved Tuesday, contains a provision that the Long Beach Police Department can\u2019t use AI to evaluate officers\u2019 performance or discipline them for wrongdoing.<\/p>\n
This means, for example, the department is banned from using AI to review body camera footage to flag possible misconduct by officers.<\/p>\n
The agreement<\/a> was a specific request by the police union, meant to provide a barrier of protection in an era where AI technology has rapidly permeated many professions, said Rich Chambers, president of the Long Beach Police Officers\u2019 Association.<\/p>\n His request on behalf of the union did not come in response to any specific software, Chambers said, but the union generally opposes any means that would attempt to \u201cencroach on the responsibilities of human employees.\u201d<\/p>\n That could include any process that requires a supervisor to monitor body-worn camera footage or read reports to determine whether an officer acted appropriately in a certain encounter, Chambers said.<\/p>\n The agreement, which runs until September 2028, doesn\u2019t outright ban the LBPD from using AI, but it requires the department to meet and confer with union representatives first.<\/p>\n Before any AI software is adopted by Long Beach police, there must be \u201cthoughtful conversations about what these things look like and what the impacts will be,\u201d Chambers said.<\/p>\n This comes as other departments \u2014 at least three in California \u2014 have started incorporating AI technology, although not for the evaluation of employees.<\/p>\n Police in Fresno, Chula Vista and Campbell all use AI software to help them write police reports. An AI program transcribes audio captured on body-worn cameras and writes them into an official police report.<\/p>\n Police officials in those departments say the technology has helped make their departments more efficient<\/a>, allowing officers to complete reports more quickly so they can return to patrolling the streets.<\/p>\n Officers must still review the report and sign to attest that the AI-generated report accurately reflects the interaction it transcribed.<\/p>\n A state law passed last year<\/a> requires police departments to publicly disclose if they are using AI software to help them write reports.<\/p>\n What else is in the contract<\/p>\n Long Beach\u2019s new contract with its police officers includes raises that both sides say will help refill a department that currently has a 17% vacancy rate.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is an agreement that creates a great tool for us to be able to recruit as well as retain those officers,\u201d said District 8 Councilmember Tunua Thrash-Ntuk.<\/p>\n Long Beach police officers will receive a 3% raise that takes effect this week, a 4% raise in October, and a 5% raise in October 2027.<\/p>\n \u201cLong Beach can be a challenging working environment, and it\u2019s even more challenging when we\u2019re operating year after year at a staffing shortage,\u201d Chambers said.<\/p>\n When new recruits join LBPD, Chambers said they need to be \u201cable and willing to work extra shifts and overtime to cover our need to handle calls for service and keep the community safe.\u201d<\/p>\n Although the contract runs through the end of the 2028 Olympics, Chambers said the police union did not make any specific requests related to the games.<\/p>\n Long Beach is hosting 11 Olympic events<\/a>, including water polo, beach volleyball and sailing.<\/p>\n