The Owen Sound Police Service is introducing a new artificial intelligence system designed to help manage non-emergency calls and general public inquiries.
The Owen Sound Emergency Communications Centre has partnered with Hyper AI to launch CARA — Community Assistance and Response Agent.
The AI-based answering assistant will support communications staff by helping process non-emergency calls, general inquiries, and basic report intake.
Police say calls related to minor property damage, lost property, and general questions make up a significant portion of the workload on non-emergency phone lines. While important, those calls can sometimes compete with higher-priority situations that require immediate attention from dispatchers.
With the new system in place, CARA will greet callers, identify the nature of their request, collect preliminary details, and either provide information or route the call to the appropriate human operator when necessary.
Chief Craig Ambrose says ““Our dispatchers handle a significant volume of calls every day for multiple communities across Ontario. By introducing AI technology to assist with non-emergency inquiries, we can ensure our dispatchers remain focused on urgent situations while still providing prompt and efficient service to the public”.
Officials say the system is being implemented with a focus on responsible use of technology and transparency, with the goal of improving service delivery and reducing strain on emergency communications staff.