Lee County deputies equipped with real-time translation body cameras

The Lee County Sheriff's Office is equipping deputies with real-time translation technology for body cameras. The new artificial intelligence feature is designed to improve communication in the field. The Axon body camera can translate more than 50 languages during calls. LCSO started rolling out the new Axon body cameras in May. Sheriff Carmine Marceno says a series of federal grants paid for them this year. "This is going to be the body cam of choice," said Marceno. When translation is activated, the body camera records both audio and video. The sheriff's office says the technology is over 90 percent accurate in translating. Sheriff Marceno says it's been a game-changer for deputies in the field. "If I pull up to a residence, someone is a Spanish-speaking person, I can talk to them and speak to them in Spanish and understand exactly what their needs are, and they can understand what mine are," said Marceno. For those who struggle with getting information across in English, Margot Aguilar says this new feature will make interactions with deputies more comfortable. "Well, I think it's really important for all the community of Latinos. The translation is good for interacting with police, so that there's no confusion for those who don't know the language," said Aguilar (translated to English). DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment, and original programming on your TV.