Your job isn’t just to evaluate the product. It’s to evaluate the risk behind it.

AI tools can streamline operations, enhance analysis, and fill staffing gaps—but only if the vendor is ready to support transparency, oversight, and legal compliance. If they can’t, walk away. Here are three signs they’re not ready for your agency.

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1. “We Can’t Show You How It Works”

Any vendor that refuses to explain their system’s decision logic, training data, or safeguards is offering you a black box. That’s a liability. Law enforcement systems must be explainable and auditable. If they can’t offer documentation or walkthroughs, that’s a disqualifier.

2. “You Don’t Need That in the Contract”

When vendors resist adding clauses like kill switches, audit rights, or public disclosure support, it means they’re not ready for the responsibilities that come with public safety work. The agency—not the vendor—is accountable when things go wrong. Your contract must reflect that.

3. “We Don’t Keep Logs”

Logs are non-negotiable. Your agency must be able to trace every input, output, user action, and override. If the vendor doesn’t maintain logs—or won’t give you access—you won’t be able to answer the tough questions when something goes wrong.