South Yorkshire Police has launched a brand-new virtual AI assistant designed to answer non-emergency questions and help reduce wait times on the 101 telephone line.
Named Bobbi Virtual AI, the tool launched across South Yorkshire on Thursday 1st October 2026. The technology has already been introduced by several other UK police forces, including Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary, Thames Valley Police, and Humberside Police.
Members of the public can ask Bobbi for advice on various police-related topics. The system operates strictly using closed-source information supplied directly by South Yorkshire Police, meaning all data shared during chats remains confidential within the force.
Police bosses have emphasised that Bobbi will not replace call handlers, but instead acts as an extra option alongside existing 101 telephone lines, online reporting forms, and station front desks. The AI tool cannot be used to report crimes directly or as a substitute for calling 999 in an emergency.
If Bobbi cannot answer a question, or if a user asks to speak to a human, the conversation is automatically transferred to a 24/7 Digital Desk operator.
“Bobbi will be a useful tool to help reduce calls to 101, save members of the public time, and provide concise and reliable answers to frequently asked questions,” said Chief Superintendent Cherie Buttle, head of the Force Control Room. “We receive more than 1,000 101 calls each day and we know that some callers can be waiting 20 minutes or more to speak to our staff during periods of high demand.”
“By providing quick responses to non-emergency questions, Bobbi will enable those who prefer to use the AI assistant to save time otherwise spent calling 101 and enable those who do need to speak to one of our call handlers to get through quicker,” Chief Supt Buttle added. “I also recognise some people will have concerns around the use of AI, and I want to emphasise that Bobbi is a secure system. It is an alternative to, not a replacement for some 101 calls.”
