New AI System Aims to Cut Cumbria Police 101 Waiting Times
Cumbria Police has introduced a new AI-powered call-routing system designed to reduce waiting times and help people reach the correct public service more quickly.
The technology was added to the force’s non-emergency 101 service on Tuesday, 18 August. It will identify calls intended for organisations such as local councils, the NHS or the power outage service before the caller enters the police queue.
Police hope the change will reduce pressure on call handlers and allow them to respond more quickly to people who genuinely require police assistance.
How Will the New 101 System Work?
The system will analyse the caller’s reason for contacting 101 and compare it with a series of likely options.
If the enquiry is not considered a police matter, the caller may be directed to the organisation best placed to help. Examples could include reports of fly-tipping, noise complaints and road traffic incidents where only damage has occurred.
Callers will be told how the system has interpreted their reason for calling. They will then have the opportunity to confirm or reject that assessment.
Additional safeguarding questions may also be asked. Cumbria Police says that if there is any doubt about the nature of an incident, the call will be transferred directly to the force.
Thousands of Calls Made Every Year
Between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026, Cumbria Police received 118,870 calls through its 101 service. This works out at an average of around 325 calls every day.
Across the UK, approximately 20 million calls are made to police 101 services each year. An estimated 20 per cent, or four million calls, concern issues that should be handled by another organisation.
Currently, many misdirected calls are only identified after a police call handler has spoken to the caller. This uses staff time and can increase waiting periods for others in the queue.
The new technology aims to redirect these enquiries earlier in the process.
System Tested by 15 Police Forces
The call-routing technology was developed through a partnership involving the Home Office, the National Police Chiefs’ Council and Vodafone. The project received £1.4 million in government investment.
It has already been tested by 15 police forces and has been designed to recognise a wide range of accents and patterns of speech.
Superintendent Graham Hawley said reducing the number of misdirected calls would free staff to concentrate on genuine police matters. He added that safeguards would ensure uncertain calls are passed directly to the police.
Cumbria’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, David Allen, welcomed the introduction of the system. He said concerns about the 101 service had been among the issues most frequently raised with him during the past two years.
He said the new system should give callers a more direct route to the service they require while allowing police call handlers to answer genuine requests more quickly.
The force will now monitor how the technology affects demand and waiting times following its introduction in Cumbria.
People should continue to call 999 when a crime is in progress or there is an immediate risk to life or property. The 101 number remains available for non-emergency police matters.
