Boulder police to roll out AI assistant to handle non-emergency calls
Boulder Police are preparing to launch a new artificial intelligence program to handle non-emergency calls, freeing dispatchers to focus on emergencies.
The Boulder Police Department says it's working with the program developed by Axon to handle calls involving issues such as noise complaints, abandoned vehicles and animal control. According to Brad Riggin, who manages safety communications in Boulder, non-emergency calls make up about 70% of the calls the department receives.
In a demo with CBS Colorado, an AI assistant named Ashley introduces itself to callers by saying, "I'm an automated assistant for the non-emergency line. How can I help you today?"
The rollout comes as some members of the public have expressed skepticism about using AI in police communications.
When asked about those concerns, Riggin said, "There's no need to be skeptical. This system has been tested and tried. What it's really going to do for us is let the dispatchers prioritize those calls where seconds matter, instead of being taken away from those calls by lesser priority calls."
To test how the system might work in practice, a hypothetical wildlife concern was reported to the AI assistant. The program then asked for more information about what the animal was doing. As the hypothetical scenario escalated to possibly involve danger, the call was transferred to a human on the emergency line.
Riggin says dispatchers can review the information already provided to the AI assistant, allowing them to pick up where the conversation left off. He said human staff will review every report generated through the system.
Boulder police hope the technology will help address staffing shortages by reducing the burden on dispatchers who handle a high volume of routine calls. Riggin also hopes this helps allow for faster service to calls
Asked how staff reacted when they learned about the program, Riggin said, "It's mixed, like everything with AI. It's mixed, right? But I think people are excited to have a new tool that can take some of the burden off their plate."
The department hopes the system will allow dispatchers to gather information on non-emergency concerns without taking their attention away from urgent calls.
"We can't forecast or schedule emergencies," Riggin said. "You're going to be able to deal with these, and the non-emergency calls will still be there. But the system is taking information for you, and you can get to them when you can get to them."
The BPD plans to begin a soft launch of the program by the end of the month, with a full rollout expected by the end of the year.
