Serve, Protect… And Chat — AI Comes To Isle Of Wight Police

Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary has become one of the first forces in the UK to trial a new AI Virtual Assistant designed to help residents with non-emergency police queries.

The AI, called Bobbi, can answer frequently asked questions and provide guidance on a range of police-related topics.

While it interacts like a human, it is fully automated and cannot be used to report crimes or replace the 999 emergency line.

Chief Superintendent Simon Dodds, who oversees contact management for both Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, said the system is aimed at improving service for local communities:

“Contact with the police continues to rise every year.

"By using Bobbi to answer routine questions, our call handlers and Digital Desk operators can focus on emergencies and complex cases where human skills like empathy and judgement are needed.”

Bobbi has been tested by more than 200 people, including victim care groups and independent panel members.

Our mock-up of how Officer Bobbi might look in action

Any chat data is kept confidential and will not be used outside the force.

If the AI cannot answer a question, or if a user requests it, the chat is transferred to a real operator at the 24/7 Digital Desk.

The AI uses information supplied by Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary, the same guidance used by human operators, and will continue to be updated and improved to reflect legislation, policy changes, and local community needs.

Residents are being encouraged to use Bobbi for simple queries, helping ensure officers and staff can spend more time on urgent and sensitive issues affecting the Isle of Wight.