Taylor police introduce AI body-cam review, cite staffing pressure and license-plate cameras’ role in cases

Chief Bobby Martin briefed the Taylor Town Council on Feb. 2 about staffing levels, new technology and how both affect public-safety work in the town of Taylor.

Martin said the department staffs 25 people including volunteers and sworn personnel, with three officer vacancies and two recruits in the academy. He said the department averages about 6,000 calls for service a year leading to roughly 1,300–1,400 reports and 500–600 arrests. "Officers initiate about 7,000 to 8,000 calls for service on their own," he said.

The chief described two major technology changes. The department has begun using Trulio, an artificial-intelligence system that analyzes body-worn camera recordings for keywords and phrases and flags segments for review — for example impolite language or potential use-of-force language — and can help officers draft reports by dictation. Martin said the system "saves the department time and money by automating the review of body-cam footage and assisting with report writing." He also emphasized that officers still confirm context before taking enforcement steps.

Martin also outlined the town’s Flock license-plate reader network. Ten cameras, obtained by grant, capture license-plate images and run plate reads against national databases; access to recorded plate data is retained by Flock for 30 days and then deleted. The chief said the cameras do not perform facial recognition and primarily record rear vehicle images; he cited 11 criminal cases since July in which the system assisted investigations and arrests. He noted the system produces many misreads and that policy requires officers to confirm plate reads with dispatch before enforcement.

Chief Martin recounted recent staffing churn: after July, three officers left within several weeks, creating short-handed patrol shifts; the department has since hired four officers since October, which Martin called "unheard of" for prior years. He said neighboring municipalities often offer $10,000–$12,000 more annually, but pay gaps have narrowed to about $4,000–$5,000. On a personnel matter he described the hiring of a lateral officer from Phoenix and said his background check suggested the officer had been "railroaded" by Phoenix command staff — a characterization he presented as his assessment rather than a settled finding.

Why it matters: Martin framed the technology and hiring updates as responses to workload and public expectations. Council members raised privacy concerns about AI and camera systems during the meeting; Martin acknowledged those concerns and emphasized procedures to confirm automated findings before action.

Next steps: No formal action or vote was taken; the chief’s presentation outlined operational changes and staffing needs for council awareness and future budget or policy discussion.