AI Bobbi virtual assistant and Merseyside Police portal
What is AI Bobbi?
‘Bobbi’ is a virtual assistant powered by artificial intelligence which sits on our website to help answer frequently asked, non-emergency questions from members of the public.
Bobbi interacts with users in a conversational way, helping them find answers to common policing-related enquiries instead of resorting to calling 101.
The technology has been developed to assist with routine, non-emergency questions, helping to reduce demand on our 101 service and ensuring that call handlers and Digital Desk colleagues can focus their time on emergencies, complex incidents and vulnerable members of the public.
Bobbi is not a replacement for our people. Instead, it is an additional service channel for those who prefer to seek help and advice through a virtual assistant and in doing so allow contact resolution officers more time to deal with genuine emergencies and more complex incidents.
How does Bobbi work?
Bobbi uses closed-source information, meaning the information it draws upon has been provided directly by policing organisations and is not sourced from the open internet.
The knowledge used by Bobbi is the same information relied upon by our call handlers and Digital Desk operators when responding to frequently asked questions. This helps ensure that users receive consistent and trusted guidance.
Any information shared during a conversation with Bobbi will remain confidential and will not be used outside of delivering the service.
What Bobbi can and cannot do
Bobbi has been designed to learn what users ask and expand the knowledge base the chat bot sources answers from, however there are important limitations.
Bobbi can:
- Answer frequently asked, non-emergency questions
- Signpost users to relevant information and services
- Provide guidance using approved policing knowledge bases
- Offer an alternative way for the public to contact us online
Bobbi cannot:
- Be used to report a crime currently (anyone who tries to will either be directed to our report online form or our phone lines)
- Replace the 999 emergency service
- Deal with emergencies or urgent incidents
- Replace human contact where specialist support is required
Members of the public will continue to be directed to the appropriate reporting channels where necessary.
What if Bobbi cannot help?
A key part of the Bobbi service is the ability to transfer conversations directly to a real person.
If Bobbi cannot answer a question, or if a user asks to speak with somebody, the conversation will be seamlessly passed to one of our Digital Desk operators who will join the chat.
Our Digital Desks operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, handling online crime reports, monitoring social media enquiries and supporting members of the public across a range of digital channels.
This ensures that people can continue to access human support whenever it is needed.
Why use a virtual assistant or chat bot?
Demand on policing services continues to increase year on year. We receive 2,000 calls a day with 20 per cent of them not requiring a police response. By helping to manage high volumes of routine enquiries, Bobbi will support the work of our Contact Resolution and Digital Desk teams, allowing valuable staff time to be focused where it can have the greatest impact.
As with any new technology, responsible use will be important. Misuse of the service could divert Digital Desk operators away from genuine incidents and enquiries that require attention.
What if Bobbi doesn’t give me an answer?
Bobbi will continue to learn and evolve. Supervisors will continue to train and develop the system, helping to identify and resolve issues, keep information aligned with current legislation and policies, and ensure the technology develops in line with the needs of our communities. Already Bobbi can recognise spelling mistakes and understand the intended meaning or word, as well as translate foreign languages, benefiting users who struggle with written English. Bobbi can also be access anywhere in the world, meaning people overseas can engage with us if they need to.
Merseyside Police Portal
AI Bobbi is part of our wider commitment to improving how people access policing services and information. Another service now online is our Portal, which is for victims of crime who prefer to be updated by the investigating officer digitally rather than by phone or email.
When an officer attending the scene of a crime first deals with a victim, or a person calls our contact centre to report an incident, they will be offered the chance to sign up to the Portal. They will be texted a link to a secure service where the officer in charge can post regular updates on their subsequent investigation.
The Portal benefits victim and investigating officers. Victims do not have to field calls from the police at inconvenient times, miss calls from us or have to pass messages via our contact centre. Officers can update their investigation logs and with a click of a button, send a message updating the victim on progress such as CCTV enquiries being completed, witness statements being finalised or persons being arrested. This saves double-keying by busy investigators. The Portal will also be viewable by contact centre staff, meaning they can provide updates to victims they still opt to call 101.