Winter Garden police add AI system to answer nonemergency calls

The Winter Garden Police Department has introduced an artificial intelligence system to help answer nonemergency calls, aiming to reduce residents' wait times while easing the demands on human dispatchers. Called AVA, the technology will support communications serving Winter Garden, Ocoee, Windermere and Oakland.

People calling with nonemergency requests will first speak with an automated voice rather than immediately reaching a dispatcher. Capt. Mike Mason of the Winter Garden Police Department said the department commissioned the technology in February and spent several months working toward putting it into use. “We're pretty excited about it,” Mason said.

AVA is designed to collect information about nonemergency incidents by asking the kinds of questions a dispatcher would ordinarily pose. That initial exchange gives the automated system a role in gathering details from callers, while dispatchers remain available for responsibilities that require their attention. Police describe the system as a way to improve how nonemergency calls are handled.

The technology is already being used elsewhere in Florida. Volusia County introduced the AI-powered system last year. Brittany Yisrael, a communications shift commander in the county, said AVA asks callers the questions communications staff would ask. In a demonstration, the system could be heard requesting the address associated with a noise complaint, showing how it gathers details about a reported incident.

Winter Garden police say shifting that work to AVA should give dispatchers more time to concentrate on emergency telephone calls and radio communications with officers in the field. Mason said dispatchers frequently juggle several duties at once, responding to incoming calls while also managing radio traffic. The additional support is intended to ease those competing demands.

Mason said that relief could allow dispatchers to devote more attention to situations needing an immediate response. Reducing the workload associated with nonemergency requests is central to the department's plans for the system, alongside its goal of shortening waits for residents seeking assistance.

Callers will still be able to speak with a person if they prefer or become frustrated with the automated exchange. According to Mason, AVA is designed to detect dissatisfaction or difficulty during a call and transfer the caller to a dispatcher.

Mason also said a separate process allows callers to be routed to a live dispatcher when the technology is not working properly. Police say the overall aim is to improve nonemergency communications while keeping human dispatchers focused on situations that need their attention.