AI chatbot now handling non-emergency enquiries to Staffordshire Police
It's been embedded into the Live Chat
Staffordshire Police has launched an AI-powered virtual assistant to answer non-emergency questions from the public.
The assistant is called Bobbi and is built into the live chat function on the force's website.
The force says it is the first in the Midlands region to introduce it.
The force says the aim is to cut waiting times on the 101 line and free up call handlers to focus on the most complex and serious cases.
What Bobbi can and can't do
Bobbi is designed to handle first-contact queries, including advice, guidance and signposting.
The force says it gives answers using the same information call handlers rely on.
If Bobbi can't answer a question, it will connect the person to a member of the force's team.
The force says complex or sensitive queries will also be passed to a human colleague.
Chief Superintendent Matt Morgan, who is head of the force's contact centre, said there is an automatic escalation point, and anyone who wants to speak to a person still can.
He said: "Bobbi operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. So there's no hold time, there's no queuing."
Bobbi sits alongside the force's online forms, telephone lines and front counters.
It cannot be used to report a crime and is not replacing the 999 emergency line.
The force says anyone with a crime in progress or in need of urgent help should always call 999.
It also says any data shared during a chat with Bobbi will remain private and confidential, and will not be used outside Staffordshire Police.
People can find Bobbi in the bottom right corner of the force's website by clicking on the speech bubble.
Why the force has introduced it
Chief Superintendent Morgan said the force's contact centre handles well over half a million contacts a year.
He said that includes more than 210,000 999 calls in the last 12 months, and at least 280,000 to 300,000 non-emergency contacts.
He said digital channels such as live chat probably add tens of thousands more.
He said the main aim is to reduce demand on the 101 line and cut the number of people who give up waiting, so call handlers can deal with matters that need a person.
He said the force also hopes urgent inquiries can be dealt with faster, and that answering people quickly will help improve trust and confidence in communities across Staffordshire.
Chief Superintendent Morgan said: "The virtual assistant is not replacing human call handlers but offers an additional service to the public."
He also said: "Ultimately, what it does is free up our call handlers to focus on those complex and urgent inquiries that absolutely 100% necessitate a human agent."
The force says experienced staff will continue to train Bobbi and keep it up to date with legislation and policies.
The technology has already been trialled by other forces, including Merseyside Police, Thames Valley Police and Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary.
First for all the latest news from across the UK every hour on Hits Radio on DAB, at hitsradio.co.uk and on the Rayo app.