v . 0 0 5 P a g e | 1
August 25, 2026
ITEM TITLE
Agreement: Approve an Agreement with Veritone, Inc. to Provide Redaction Software Solution Report Number: 26-0241
Location: No specific geographic location
Department: Police
G.C. § 84308 Regulations Apply: No
Environmental Notice : The activity is not a “Project” as defined under Section 15378 of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) State Guidelines. Therefore, pursuant to State Guidelines Section 15060(c)(3) no environmental review is required.
Recommended Action
Adopt a resolution approving an agreement with Veritone, Inc. to provide a redaction software solution.
SUMMARY
On December 5, 2025, the City issued a Request for Proposal (“RFP”), seeking competitive proposals from experienced and qualified individuals or firms to provide a comprehensive redaction software solution to support the City Clerk’s Office, City Attorney’s Office and Police Department. As a result of the RFP process, the staff recommends approving an agreement with Veritone, Inc.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The proposed activity has been reviewed for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”), and it has been determined t hat the activity is not a “Project” as defined under Section 15378 of the State CEQA Guidelines because the proposed activity consists of a governmental fiscal/administrative activity which does not result in a physical change in the environment. Therefore , pursuant to Section 15060(c)(3) of the State CEQA Guidelines, the activity is not subject to CEQA.
BOARD/COMMISSION/COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
Police Department staff presented an informational item about Veritone Redact to the Privacy Protection and Technology Advisory Commission during its regular meeting held on July 20, 2026. The commission members asked staff about information sharing, artificial intelligence (AI) features and certifications. Police P a g e | 2
staff confirmed that information is not shared wit h other parties, AI -assisted redactions are reviewed and validated by authorized staff, and Veritone maintains multiple security and privacy certifications.
DISCUSSION
Background
Recent changes to California public records and disclosure requirements —including Senate Bill 1421 (SB 1421), Penal Code Section 832.5, Assembly Bill 748 (AB 748), and Senate Bill 290 (SB 290) —have significantly expanded public access to certain law enforcement records and increased access rights for victims of crimes, including domestic violence, sexual assault, and elder abuse.
As a result, the City has experienced substantial growth in requests for body-worn camera video, 911 audio recordings, investigative media, and civil subpoenas. These requests frequently involve sensitive visual and audio content that must be reviewed and redacted prior to release to protect privacy interests, preserve confidentiality, and comply with applicable legal requirements.
In 2024, the City processed 1,279 public records requests. In 2025, the volume increased to 1,544 requests.
As of August 4, 2026, the City has received 893 requests for the year.
The nature of public records has also evolved. Records requests increasingly include digital evidence and multimedia content such as body -worn camera foo tage, in -car video, drone footage, audio recordings, photographs, and electronic documents. Unlike traditional paper records, these media formats require detailed frame-by-frame and content-specific review to identify and redact protected information prior to disclosure, substantially increasing staff workload and processing time.
Furthermore, civil subpoenas directed to law enforcement agencies have become increasingly complex and resource-intensive due to the significant growth in electronically stored in formation. In addition to traditional paper records, subpoena responses often require the identification, collection, review, and legal analysis of body-worn camera footage, in-car video, digital photographs, audio recordings, Computer Aided Dispatch (“CAD”) records, R ecords Management System (“R MS”) data, text messages, and other electronic evidence. Prior to disclosure, these records must be carefully reviewed and redacted to protect confidential information, including juvenile records, victim and witness information, medical information, criminal history information, and other records protected by state and federal law. The volume of digital evidence associated with modern investigations has also substantially increased the time, staffing, technology, and legal resources necessary to ensure compliance with court orders while safeguarding privacy rights and statutory confidentiality requirements.
Current Software Environment
The Police Department currently utilizes the Veritone Redact application through access to the aiWARE platform to support AI -assisted media processing and redaction of video, audio, image, and document records.
The previous annual agreement expired on June 30, 2026. To maintain continuity of operations and a void any disruption to public records processing and disclosure obligations while the competitive procurement process and agreement approval are finalized, the Police Department executed a three -month extension of the existing agreement.
P a g e | 3
The current interim agreement provided:
Continued access to the Veritone Redact platform for a three-month term; Processing capacity for up to twenty (20) hours of uploaded media; and Usage-based processing at a rate of $100 per additional hour of uploaded media beyond the included allocation.
The interim agreement expires on September 30, 2026.
Competitive Selection Process
On December 5, 2025, the City posted RFP P25 -2026 to PlanetBids, seeking competitive proposals from qualified firms to provide an enterprise redaction software solution supporting the operational needs of the Police Department. The objective of the solicitation was to identify a solution capable of securely and efficiently redacting sensitive information across video, audio, image, and document records w hile supporting compliance with public disclosure laws and confidentiality requirements. The City received ten (10) proposals.
An evaluation team, consisting of a Police Support Services Manager, Crime Laboratory Manager, Police Technology Manager, Deputy Director of City Clerk Services and Records Manager, completed a comprehensive evaluation of the proposals based on criteria that included the consultants’ experience, past performance, personnel, approach to work and proposed costs. Following the evaluat ion, the team conducted interviews with the top three ranked firms. After a comprehensive assessment, staff recommends awarding the agreement to Veritone, Inc.
Veritone Redact is an AI-assisted redaction platform designed to support the review, processing, and release of multimedia records while maintaining human oversight and decision-making authority.
Key capabilities include:
Privacy and Redaction Controls
AI-assisted redaction of video, audio, image, and document files through a unified workflow; Automated identification of sensitive content to accelerate review processes; Human review and editing controls to validate automated detections and maintain legal compliance; Consistent application of redactions through standardized workflows and reviewer oversight; Removal of embedded metadata and hidden information prior to release.
Detection and Processing Capabilities
Detection of faces, individuals, vehicles, license plates, identification cards, computer screens, written materials, and other identifiable information;
Person and head detection optimized for body -worn camera and surveillance environments where facial recognition alone may be insufficient;
Batch processing and queue-based workflows for simultaneous review of multiple requests; Reusable templates to support consistent application of agency policies and disclosure requirements.
P a g e | 4
Records Integrity and Accountability
Native integration with Axon Evidence.com to support secure evidence intake and export; Preservation of evidentiary chain-of-custody throughout processing workflows; Detailed audit logging of user actions, redaction history, approvals, and workflow status; Secure collaboration capabilities for reviewers, supervisors, legal staff, and records personnel; Role-based permissions and centralized administrative controls.
Operational Benefits
Supports compliance with California Public Records Act requirements and statutory disclosure obligations;
Reduces manual review effort and administrative burden; Improves processing consistency and response timelines; Supports defensible records practices for litigation, subpoenas, audits, and evidentiary review; Advances operational transparency while protecting privacy and confidential information.
The cost for each concurrent user license of Veritone Redact is $16,000 per year. The City intends to purchase five licenses, for a total annual cost of $80,000. The initial term of the agreement is September 1, 2026, through June 30, 2028, and may be extended for up to four additional one-year terms upon mutual agreement of both parties (potentially through June 30, 2032).
DECISION-MAKER CONFLICT
Staff has reviewed the decision contemplated by this action and has determined that it is not site-specific and consequently, the real property holdings of the City Councilmembers do not create a disqualifying real property-related financial conflict of interest under the Political Reform Act. (Gov. Code, § 87100 et seq.) Staff is not independently aware and has not been informed by any City Councilmember of any other fact that may constitute a basis for a decision-maker conflict of interest in this matter.
CURRENT-YEAR FISCAL IMPACT
For the 10-month period of September 2026 to June 2027, the prorated cost of five licenses is $66,667. This cost is included in the fiscal year 2026-27 General Fund budget.
ONGOING FISCAL IMPACT
If all four agreement extensions are au thorized, the table below outlines the not -to-exceed amount for the 70-month term.
Initial Term Extension 1 Extension 2 Extension 3 Extension 4 5-YEAR TOTAL Sep 26 - Jun 28 FY 2028-29 FY 2029-30 FY 2030-31 FY 2031-32 $146,667 $80,000 $80,000 $80,000 $80,000 $466,667
Costs relating to redaction software provided by Veritone in subsequent fiscal years will be considered as part of the annual budget development process.
P a g e | 5
ATTACHMENTS
1. Veritone License Agreement
Staff Contact: Dan Peak, Acting Chief of Police
Shannel Honore, Police Support Services Manager