The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office is testing out new technology when it comes to body-worn cameras.”It’s part of our artificial intelligence phase,” said Sheriff John Allen. “It has up to 50 languages through the camera, and eventually it’ll go up to 150.”Currently, 25 deputies in the department are testing out the new firmware installed into body cameras, which the department is already using with Axon.On Monday, deputies arrested a man wanted for kidnapping a delivery driver. The suspect, 35-year-old Mukhammed-Emin Idrisov, told deputies he only spoke Russian. Body camera video shared by BCSO shows a deputy using his body camera to translate English to Russian in order to be able to talk to Idrisov.”We had another incident that a detective was asking who spoke Japanese,” said Allen.A body camera with the new firmware was used to help translate.The firmware can also be used with the department’s drone program, help deputies search for department policy, and act as a two-way communication device.”If I’m out of town, I can speak through that deputy’s camera if I need to. Dispatch can too,” said Allen. “All of that can be operated by our body cam, just that one central computer that’s with our deputies.”Allen told KOAT, the technology has gone above and beyond his expectations. But he wants to work out any kinks. So far, the department hasn’t found many.If all goes well, BCSO plans to start pushing out the technology to its next academy class that graduates in three weeks, and then it’ll be given to the entire agency throughout the fall.It also won’t cost the department any money. According to Allen, the updated firmware is part of its current contract with Axon.

BERNALILLO COUNTY, N.M. —

The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office is testing out new technology when it comes to body-worn cameras.

“It’s part of our artificial intelligence phase,” said Sheriff John Allen. “It has up to 50 languages through the camera, and eventually it’ll go up to 150.”

Currently, 25 deputies in the department are testing out the new firmware installed into body cameras, which the department is already using with Axon.

On Monday, deputies arrested a man wanted for kidnapping a delivery driver. The suspect, 35-year-old Mukhammed-Emin Idrisov, told deputies he only spoke Russian. Body camera video shared by BCSO shows a deputy using his body camera to translate English to Russian in order to be able to talk to Idrisov.

“We had another incident that a detective was asking who spoke Japanese,” said Allen.

A body camera with the new firmware was used to help translate.

The firmware can also be used with the department’s drone program, help deputies search for department policy, and act as a two-way communication device.

“If I’m out of town, I can speak through that deputy’s camera if I need to. Dispatch can too,” said Allen. “All of that can be operated by our body cam, just that one central computer that’s with our deputies.”

Allen told KOAT, the technology has gone above and beyond his expectations. But he wants to work out any kinks. So far, the department hasn’t found many.

If all goes well, BCSO plans to start pushing out the technology to its next academy class that graduates in three weeks, and then it’ll be given to the entire agency throughout the fall.

It also won’t cost the department any money. According to Allen, the updated firmware is part of its current contract with Axon.