When Avon Police Department in Colorado invested in TRULEO's AI platform, they weren't just buying software. They were buying back something far more valuable: time. And as it turned out, that time translated into a return on investment that even the most optimistic projections hadn't predicted.
The numbers tell a story that every police administrator needs to hear: a $15,000 annual investment delivering approximately $503,000 in returns. That's a 33x return in year one.
But how does a small department with just 24 sworn officers achieve this kind of result? The answer lies in understanding what police work actually costs when you break it down to the hour.
Before TRULEO, Officer Matthew Carlton spent 4-5 hours writing a single felony report. After multiple correction rounds and additional hours spent on rejections, that time stretched even longer. For Avon PD, this wasn't just an inconvenience. It was an expensive problem hiding in plain sight.
After implementing TRULEO, that same report takes approximately 1 hour. Officers face fewer rejections and get back on the street faster.
"Opinions changed once the team found out how much time TRULEO could save them. Hours and hours," the department noted.
But the real financial impact becomes clear when you calculate what those hours actually represent.
For Avon Police Department, handling approximately 150 cases annually, TRULEO saves an estimated 90 hours per case across case review, jail call intelligence, and OSINT/RMS research.
Let's do the math:
Here's the cost that many departments overlook when calculating technology ROI: officer retention.
The cost to replace a single officer is approximately $75,000 when you factor in recruitment, training, equipment, and the productivity loss during that transition period.
By reducing burnout and administrative burden, TRULEO contributes to officer retention. The estimated benefit: approximately $75,000.
Officer Carlton's transformation from skeptic to champion illustrates this perfectly. "It literally has become a tool on my toolbelt," he said. Technology that makes officers' jobs easier doesn't just save time. It makes them want to stay.
ing officers."
While the 33x ROI is impressive, some returns don't fit neatly into financial calculations:
Fewer Report Rejections: Officers aren't redoing work, which means less frustration and higher morale.
Better Evidence Preservation: TRULEO transcribes body cam footage and captures exact quotes from everyone at a scene.
"It's pulling quotes that you or the victim said that otherwise would have been forgotten," Officer Carlton explained.
Stronger Prosecution Cases: Verbatim transcripts are harder for defense attorneys to dispute. As Carlton noted about DUI cases: "When people are drunk, TRULEO can pick up on what they say." Slurred words and confused statements captured exactly as spoken demonstrate intoxication level more convincingly than officer descriptions alone.
Trial-Ready Documentation: Officers can focus on the scene, knowing nothing will be lost. Perfect recall means minor details that become critical are captured in the moment.
Financial calculations are based on industry averages and department case volume estimates, so actual results will vary. But the fundamental equation remains the same: when you give officers back thousands of hours per year, those hours have financial value.
For departments considering AI investment, Avon's experience offers a framework for calculating your own potential ROI:
"It's not just saving time, it's a tool to further your investigation," Officer Carlton said.
That's the real ROI: technology that pays for itself 33 times over while making officers more effective at their jobs. For a $15,000 investment, that's a calculation any department can understand.
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