FOI 868/25

Request

This freedom of information request relates to Record of Taped Interview (ROTI) and Record of Video Interview (ROVI) transcripts of police-suspect interviews. Some of the questions were included in a 2022 FOI request on the same topic, and some new questions focus on the use of speech technologies. Given the rapid growth of Artificial Intelligence in the last three years, please could you provide answers to the following questions?

1. How many ROTI/ROVI transcribers are currently employed by your police force?
2. Are ROTI/ROVI transcribers employees of your police force or is the work outsourced to an external agency? If outsourced, which external agency is the work outsourced to?
3. What, if any, formal or informal guidance are ROTI/ROVI transcribers provided with for the purpose of producing transcripts?
4. Does your police force produce ROTI/ROVIs (MG15s) for Magistrates' Court cases, or only for Crown Court? If not, what record of the suspect interview is provided for Magistrates' Court cases?
5. Does your police force use, or are you planning to use, automatic transcription systems to produce ROTI/ROVI transcripts?
6. If the answer to question 5 was "yes" - does/will the use of automatic transcription involve an automatic transcription system developed specifically for your police force or an existing automatic transcription system from an external provider?
7. Does your police force use, or are you planning to use, automatic transcription systems to produce transcripts of other types of audio/video recordings (e.g. emergency calls, body-worn camera footage, witness interviews)?

Response

We consulted with our Crime & Criminal Justice Department who have provided the below response to your request.

Question 1

As at 03.07.25 there are 19 staff employed, and a breakdown is as follows:

1 x S.O. 1/2 Full Time [37 hours] – Unit Head

1 x Scale 5/6 Full Time – Team Leader

13 x Scale 3 Full Time – Transcribers

1 x Scale 3 [36 hrs p.w.] – Transcriber

2 x Scale 3 [30 hrs p.w.] – Transcriber

1 x Scale 3 [21 hrs on 3 days a week] 

Please note there are others in the Force, however they are individuals whose role is a multi-functional one which includes transcribing done on an ad hoc basis.

Question 2

All the staff are South Wales Police permanent employees.

Question 3

The only requirement we need is from LDS (Learning & Development Services) via a remote course to complete a NICHE (Our crime and incident recording system) course to allow access to NICHE and that is provided before attempting a ROTI or ROVI. Once the transcriber has that access the actual task of training in relation to the completion of a ROTI or any related transcriptions on NICHE is done by the Unit Head and Team Leader.

Question 4

Crown Court only.

Question 5

The Unit does not use an automatic transcription system albeit a system was tried in the Force some years ago, however the Welsh pronunciation was not as it should be on the produced transcript, neither is the automatic system able to differentiate Welsh place names. This has resulted in a transcriber having to redo the whole piece again, this system was called Dragon Dictate. The system is utilised in the Force for those who have been diagnosed with dyslexia or are neurodivergent.

Question 6

The above issues would have to be overcome.

Question 7

As above.

Emergency calls, voicemails, mobile phone recordings, body worn camera footage, CCTV footage [audio], RING doorbell footage all now form part of the daily requests of the Unit.

Please note:

The Unit does not only transcribe ROTIs/ROVIs for court purposes but maintains the archives at the Force’s Tape Library of suspects and victims. This dual role is carried out by 2 individuals. Not only does the Unit cater for these two main roles but we are also required to provide solicitors with copies of their client’s interview disks/tapes. Whilst now digitalised we have the facility to upload the hard disc to NICE and by means of a secure e-mail system and the sharing facility on NICE copies of clients’ interviews are provided without the cost to the Force of postage via recorded delivery. Again, those two individuals carry out this function as well as their transcribing roles.

Please also note that 16 members of the Unit, including the Unit Head and Team Leader, are trained to the higher vetting level [MV/SC] and enables them to carry out not only ROTI/ROVI work but also for the specialist departments of CTP, PSD, Legal Department, POLIT and latterly Major Crime [under whose umbrella the Unit now comes due to reorganisation ] but also our partner agencies including joint operations with HM Immigration, UK Border Agency, NCA.  In some cases, some of those 16 staff have been involved in the transcription of surveillance footage [audio] of undercover operations.  All of which have in some way been criminal investigations required by CPS for Crown Court cases, even on occasions The Old Bailey.  

The Unit is also closely involved with the coroners’ officer throughout the Force and is required to transcribe a variety of 999, Ambulance Service, Fire Brigade, even victims’ last calls on a regular basis.  On a few occasions the coroner’s have requested that the whole of an Inquest Hearing is transcribed where the verdict is being challenged by relatives, or it is required by the Force’s Legal Department due to civil action against the Force.

Whilst the Force introduced the facility to officers of recording statements on tablet devices there is still a need to produce typed statements.  This task has fallen to the Unit to type and supply, either via Niche or via MG templates.