EXCLUSIVE: Nuisance calls fielded by police include a complaint about a pizza, slow service in a pub and reporting a lost umbrella, but new AI software will now tackle non-policing calls
AI is set to stamp out “ridiculous” waste-of-time calls to police including complaints about slow pizza delivery and service in pubs
The Home Office has announced it is rolling out new software to deal with nuisance, prank and misdirected calls, expected to save forces millions of pounds a year.
Last month, a member of the public contacted the Met Police to talk about changing electricity provider, while Nottinghamshire Police got a call about a lost umbrella on July 27. And someone rang Humberside Police asking for a lift the following day.
Greater Manchester Police had to deal with a call asking for tax advice last month – while other nuisance calls included complaints about delays to pizza deliveries, a takeaway running out of food, and slow service at a pub.
The government estimates around one in five of the 20 million calls to the non-emergency 101 number are not related to policing. It says the new call-routing system, using artificial intelligence, will tackle these and save £8.5million a year. AI tools will direct people to the correct service – including councils and the NHS.
Crime and Policing Minister Sarah Jones said: “Police call handlers are wasting hours fielding calls meant for other organisations. Every minute spent on these calls is time taken away from helping people who genuinely need their support.
“AI is already helping police catch dangerous criminals and speed up investigations. Now, it will help bring control rooms into the 21st century, freeing up time and unlocking millions of pounds. Forces can reinvest those savings into tackling the crime on our streets.”
There are no plans to roll out AI software for 999 calls, which will continue to be dealt with by call handlers. The new systems has been drawn up by the Home Office and National Police Chiefs’ Council, working with Vodafone Business.
Non-police issues will be redirected to the correct service, while relevant callers will join a queue. During a pilot by 15 forces, calls about fly-tipping, noise and damage-only road crashes were referred to the correct place.
The Home Office said if the system is in doubt about the reason for a call, it will be passed to police without delay.
Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Hooper, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for contact operations, said: “It’ll help forces manage demand more effectively, freeing up call handlers to focus on those who genuinely need police support.
“By reducing unnecessary call handling, this system marks a major step forward in modernising how the public interacts with policing – making services more efficient, responsive, and easier to navigate.”
And John Hayward-Cripps, chief executive of the Neighbourhood Watch Network, said: “Neighbourhood Watch volunteers and supporters have long fed back on the delays and poor service from the overloaded 101 service reported to them from local members of the public. This new AI call-routing system is a practical step towards a faster, smarter and more responsive 101 service.
The new system will be brought in using £1.4million of government funding. The Home Office said the 101 line receives around four million calls each year which should be directed to organisations like councils, the NHS or the power outage helpline.
It stated: “However, the line also receives ridiculous reports on issues from delayed pizza delivery to slow pub service and requests for a lift, wasting vital time that police should be spending tackling crime.”