Staffordshire Police is using artificial intelligence to improve how it responds to some enquiries, but a senior officer has said the aim is not to replace staff with “robots or technology”.
AI cameras have previously been used in a pilot scheme to detect drivers using mobile phones or not wearing seatbelts. Staffordshire Police was involved in the National Highways trial alongside other forces across the country.
Another AI system is now set to be used in the force’s contact centre to deal with simple queries, such as requests for information, without the need for human involvement.
A report to the Police and Crime Public Performance meeting on Thursday 14 May said
“We are in the process of onboarding a new Salesforce LiveChat onto the Salesforce Platform with Agentic AI known as ‘Bobbi’.
“This will bring greater consistency and efficiencies with Bobbi being able to deal with up to 72 per cent of all enquiries. This will also be deployed into the force website’s ‘Contact us’ forms.”
Staffordshire Police and Fire Service Commissioner Ben Adams said he was “very keen” to see how work using AI develops.
He said
“I know in some places it has been exceptionally well-received.
“Cameras that we had that were picking up mobile phone use and no seatbelts are also AI-driven. I know that was a national campaign, is there any means for us to invest in that technology and get it back in Staffordshire?”
He also highlighted the force’s Victim’s Portal, which launched in December 2024 and allows victims to track, monitor and receive updates about the progress of their incident.
More than a fifth of victims have used the portal since its launch, with around 1,500 people contacting their officer in charge through the system.
Mr Adams said
“That is a technology that is there to help people understand the status of their investigation.
“I know 1,500 people have contacted their officer in charge through that. For some people it’s perfect, for other not so much, depending on their experience.”
Assistant Chief Constable Emily Clarke said the portal gives victims round-the-clock access to updates about their crimes.
She said
“It gives victims 24/7 availability to see the updates on their crimes. It’s something that we’re launching in phases, the first phase we’ve launched is around vehicle crime, burglary and criminal damage.
“It’s then going to form part of our new AI function, which will enable quicker contact with us as a service. We’re really keen to look at what technology is available and what we can bring into the service that makes our work more efficient.
“This isn’t about replacing the workforce with robots or technology, but it’s about how we can enhance what we do. We know that if somebody wants to contact us we want to speak to them as quickly as possible, either to signpost them somewhere else or deal with their enquiry.
“It’s about how we can streamline our systems, so that if tasks our call takers are doing can sit elsewhere in the organisation, or we can utilise technology to be more efficient, that will all help ensure we’ve got the most effective workforce to be able to pick up our calls.”
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