Law Enforcement Transcription: Setting the Bar In Confidentiality

The Officers and Deputies Are Doing Everything Right – But Is Your Transcription Service?

They write the reports. They record the interviews, statements, and cam footage. Then they submit the files to the transcription provider, expecting they’ll be handled safely.

But here’s the part no one told you:

If your transcription vendor isn’t trained in federal privacy laws, your department’s reports could be compromised.

Most transcription companies working with law enforcement understand CJIS. But what about HIPAA law?

Injury and Abuse Details Are Protected by HIPAA Law

If a report includes:

A victim’s hospital visit
Mental health details
Sexual assault or physical abuse
Drug treatment
Medical test results

That’s Protected Health Information (PHI).

HIPAA is a federal law that governs the handling of medical information. That includes law enforcement reports when they describe a victim’s physical or mental condition—especially in abuse cases.

If your transcription vendor isn’t trained in HIPAA compliance, your department’s data could be exposed.

Most Transcription Services Are Not HIPAA Compliant

We reviewed the websites and practices of Google's first 20 results for transcription providers offering law enforcement transcription. Here’s what we found:

No mention of HIPAA
AI-generated transcripts or offshore outsourcing
Weak security protocols
No training in how to handle PHI

This isn’t just a reputational risk. It’s a safety risk, especially for victims. It’s a blind spot for many departments, and it’s not being talked about.

What Can Happen

While law enforcement agencies aren’t held to HIPAA, the vendors supporting them are. If a transcription company mishandles PHI, especially in cases involving medical or abuse-related information, your department could face:

Civil lawsuits for breach of privacy
Public backlash if sensitive details are leaked
Loss of community trust
Victims refusing to cooperate in future cases

The damage isn’t just legal. It’s personal, reputational, and lasting. One mistake by your transcription provider can follow your department for years.

Getting our transcripts back ready to go every morning has saved us a lot of time and kept our cases on schedule. Research Transcriptions is awesome!

Detective (identity protected) Florida Sheriff's Department
I highly recommend Research Transcriptions for their attention to detail and reliability... always on time and always available when I need them. The service is absolutely fantastic!!!!!!

Administrator (identity protected) North Carolina Police Department
Research Transcriptions has proven to be a great partner for our department. Their experience and attention to protecting our data has been a huge improvement over our last provider.

Captain Texas Sheriff's Department
... the accuracy is great - we don't see the horrible mistakes we used to get from AI. i appreciate that there is always someone to talk to when I need help.

Detective (identity protected) Florida Police Department

A Quick Note From Rob

I started my career in the transcription industry in 2004, after serving in the U.S. Army and a stint working for Pfizer.

My time in uniform strengthened my heartfelt commitment to serving our country, and has a lot to do with why, today, the work Research Transcriptions does for our military and law enforcement agencies is our highest priority.

While working for Pfizer, I learned the critical importance of properly handling Protected Health Information (PHI) and understanding HIPAA law. This experience, combined with the discipline, integrity, and sense of duty I carried from the Army, are the foundation upon which I built this company.

Today, we proudly support police and sheriff’s departments that share our commitment to service and safeguarding sensitive material, especially in victim and abuse cases.

We don’t use AI.

We don’t send files overseas.

And we don’t cut corners.

If this makes sense to you, let's talk. In a ten-minute conversation, I'll help you identify potential risks to your department's transcription data and answer any questions you have.

Yours in service,

The Officers and Deputies Are Doing Everything Right – But Is Your Transcription Service?

Injury and Abuse Details Are Protected by HIPAA Law

Most Transcription Services Are Not HIPAA Compliant

What Can Happen

A Quick Note From Rob

How Can You Tell If Your Transcription Vendor Is Putting You at Risk?