A new AI tech is bringing real time language translation to Stockton body cameras, an upgrade officials say would help bridge language barriers between officers and residents.
On Tuesday, the Stockton Police Department announced the integration of a new, real-time translation feature into the more than 300 body cameras issued to in-the-field officers. The new tool, said Stockton Police Chief Stanley McFadden during a morning news conference, would eliminate delays in providing accurate and immediate on-scene translations.
“Communication barriers have historically slowed emergency responses,” McFadden said. “Officers often have to rely on hand gestures, assumptions or wait for a translator — all while trying to assist someone in distress. When seconds matter, delays can change outcomes.”
The AI-assisted tool can translate more than 50 languages in real-time, including Spanish, Arabic and Tagalog. Tierney Stuhr, a representative for Axon, the software’s maker, described its AI translator as “straightforward” and able to remove the need for an interpreter.
Mayor Christina Fugazi, who spoke with reporters during the announcement, said the roll out of the translation feature will be a “game changer” for the city’s police department.
“When we look at our community — the most diverse community that you can find in America — we have to be able to serve all of the members of our community,” she said. “Language should never be a barrier to access to services, to help or to safety.”
Axon, the country’s leading distributor of police body cameras, piloted its translation feature in early 2025, according to its FAQ page, before a handful of law enforcement agencies, like the Bexar County Sheriff and Norwalk Police in Connecticut, adopted the tool.
Within Stockton PD, the software hasn’t had any “noticeable issues,” said police spokesperson David Scott, adding that software training for officers in how to use the new translator feature is currently ongoing.
But Axon’s use of AI has previously drawn criticism. In 2019, the company considered adding AI facial recognition to its body cameras — technology that its ethics board later deemed as “not sufficiently reliable,” citing concerns about implicit bias across race and gender.
In a statement to Stocktonia, police spokesperson Omer Edhah said the department’s code enforcement utilizes AI technology to detect blight issues when driving through the city, but is not aware of any other AI use by Stockton police.
When asked by Stocktonia about the cost of the new body camera program, a city spokesperson did not immediately respond.
Edhah, who appears in one of the training videos, said he can recall several instances when he provided real-time translations for his peers, including occasions when he drove across town to do so.
As the only Arabic-speaking officer on the force, Edhah said he sees the new software as a way to reduce delays in service.
“It’s definitely resolving a challenge that we face everyday,” said Edhah in an afternoon call.
“Our community deserves not to only be seen and heard, but also understood.”