{"id":21597,"date":"2026-04-29T14:12:14","date_gmt":"2026-04-29T14:12:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/21597\/"},"modified":"2026-04-29T14:12:14","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T14:12:14","slug":"lakeland-police-seek-millions-from-commissioners-to-secure-ai-tech-contract","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/21597\/","title":{"rendered":"Lakeland police seek millions from commissioners to secure AI tech contract"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Lakeland <\/p>\n

LAKELAND, Fla. – The Lakeland <\/a>Police Department\u00a0is exploring new technology aimed at modernizing policing and improving efficiency.<\/p>\n

During a recent public safety presentation, the department leaders pitched a proposed partnership with Axon\u00a0that would expand its use of artificial intelligence and drones.<\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

The proposed contract would cost about $21 million over 10 years. Axon already supplies the department with Tasers and body cameras, but this would be a new, broader agreement.<\/p>\n

What is a “connected officer”? <\/p>\n

Officials described the concept of a “connected officer,” equipped with AI-powered tools designed to streamline daily tasks.<\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

The technology could include:<\/p>\n

Body cameras with AI capabilitiesDrones for situational awarenessTools that translate multiple languagesSoftware that can help generate police reports <\/p>\n

Leaders say the goal is not to replace officers, but to assist them in the field and reduce time spent on paperwork.<\/p>\n

Concerns over AI-generated reports <\/p>\n

The other side:<\/p>\n

Not everyone supports the expansion of AI in policing.<\/p>\n

The American Civil Liberties Union\u00a0has raised concerns, particularly about AI-generated police reports.<\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

Among the issues cited included:<\/p>\n

Potential mistakes that still require human reviewThe risk that AI narratives could influence an officer\u2019s memory or interpretation of eventsQuestions about accountability and accuracy <\/p>\n

Department leaders say safeguards would be in place.<\/p>\n

What they’re saying:<\/p>\n

Lakeland Assistant Police Chief Hans Lehmann said the technology is intended to improve efficiency and outcomes.<\/p>\n

“It\u2019s going to make us smarter and prepare us for the next decade,” Lehmann said. “It\u2019s going to improve our productivity, and it\u2019s also going to enhance better outcomes through faster response and faster resolution to our cases.”<\/p>\n

Lehmann added that reducing time spent on administrative work could allow officers to focus more on proactive policing.<\/p>\n

“That\u2019s what we\u2019re trying to do \u2014 reduce time on call so our sworn members have more time for proactive patrol, community engagement and solving crime,” he said.<\/p>\n

The backstory:<\/p>\n

The use of artificial intelligence in law enforcement is not new to the region.<\/p>\n

The Tampa Police Department implemented AI-enhanced body cameras in January 2026, also supplied by Axon.<\/p>\n

The proposal is not yet finalized.<\/p>\n

The Lakeland Police Department is seeking funding approval before moving forward with the deal. City leaders have not made a final decision, and discussions are ongoing.<\/p>\n

The Source: This article was written using information from the Lakeland Police Department and reporting from FOX 13’s Mariah Harrison.<\/p>\n

Lakeland<\/a>Crime and Public Safety<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"LAKELAND, Fla. – The Lakeland Police Department\u00a0is exploring new technology aimed at modernizing policing and improving efficiency. During…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":21598,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[24,25,6047,2492,15088,66,15087,156],"class_list":{"0":"post-21597","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-ai","8":"tag-ai","9":"tag-artificial-intelligence","10":"tag-crime-publicsafety","11":"tag-fl","12":"tag-lakeland","13":"tag-news","14":"tag-polk","15":"tag-us"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21597","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21597"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21597\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21598"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21597"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21597"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21597"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}