At their June 2 meeting, the Gila County Board of Supervisors approved the use of artificial intelligence in reporting at the sheriff's office and renewed opioid recovery services for youth and adults. The supervisors also heard a brief update on flood recovery projects under way in Globe.
The sheriff's office will begin using an AI tool to help draft investigative reports after the supervisors approved a contract with Axon Enterprise for AI-assisted report drafting software.
Capt. Cole LaBonte said the use of AI could dramatically reduce the time deputies and detectives spend preparing investigative reports.
Labonte said detectives have raised concerns about the amount of time required to review lengthy interviews and convert them into reports suitable for prosecutors. Major investigations can involve interviews lasting six to 10 hours, and converting those recordings into notes and detailed reports can take detectives 40 to 60 hours.
The new software analyzes audio from interview recordings and body-camera footage, organizes information into a consistent format, and produces draft reports that officers can review and edit. It can produce a high-quality full report in three minutes, Labonte said.
He noted that the use of AI in law enforcement has raised legal and public concerns in recent years, including lawsuits questioning whether AI-generated reports could introduce inaccuracies. He said those concerns were considered during the evaluation process.
The sheriff's office worked with the county attorney's office, reviewed lawsuits and considered constituent concerns, resulting in the selection of Axon's product.
The type of AI being used, called "closed AI,” is designed to work only with the information provided and not to create new information. Officers will be responsible for reviewing and editing reports, and certifying that the report is true and accurate.
Original audio and video evidence will be retained according to legal retention standards.
Axon will provide seven software licenses at a cost of $13,686.21 through April 2027. The sheriff's office intends to expand the tool to patrol officers if funding can be found.
The supervisors approved the renewal of a contract with Wowza LLC supporting opioid recovery and “wraparound services” that provide holistic substance abuse assistance to both young people and adults.
The company’s vice president Stella Gore told supervisors that the program takes a broad approach to addressing substance abuse, combining prevention, education, recovery support and community outreach.
For young people, the program provides substance abuse prevention education and positive activities through partnerships with schools, nonprofits, law enforcement and youth organizations throughout the county.
The program has provided classes at Miami High School that focus on healthy alternatives to drug use, as well as partnerships with the Arizona Youth Coalition and Globe Police Department’s school resource officer, and community events designed to support families affected by substance abuse.
The program also continues to distribute naloxone, the overdose-reversal medication used in opioid emergencies, and connects people to treatment when they are ready, Gore said.
The company also helps individuals obtain transportation, medications, sober-living placements, work clothing, and other necessities that support employment long-term stability.
“Often, it's the everyday barriers that can derail recovery,” Gore said.
According to Gore, 77% of clients who received wraparound assistance remained both drug-free and employed six months after recovery.
Gore was previously a member of Gila County Health and Community Services.
The contract will now run through January 2027 at an amount not to exceed $650,000. The program is funded through Arizona’s opioid settlement funds, which were established through litigation against opioid manufacturers and distributors.
Gila County Manager Michael O'Driscoll updated the supervisors on flood recovery projects being funded through the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Emergency Watershed Protection Program. He said construction at Russell Gulch is approximately 40% complete and the Six Shooter Canyon project is roughly 20% complete.
Survey work is underway for projects at Ice House Canyon and Copper Hills Road, with work expected to start this week. Work at the hospital wall project has not yet begun, as it is pending final clearance from the NRCS.
Crews will continue work throughout the summer as the county aims to complete as many projects as possible within the NRCS's 220-day window.
The supervisors also discussed the return of Troy White, who previously served as interim public works director and will now resume that position, as well as the passage of the "blight bill” in the state legislature, aimed at helping counties address blighted properties where the owner cannot be identified. The supervisors also approved a contract for environmental and cultural clearance work required for the expansion of the Buckhead Mesa Landfill.
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