As reported on 18 August 2026, the Home Office announced a £1.4 million government investment in an AI call-routing system for the police 101 non-emergency line. The department said the line receives 20 million calls a year and that around 20% — four million — are meant for other organisations such as local councils, NHS 111 or the 105 power outage helpline. It estimated the system would save policing up to £8.5 million each year.

The system was developed by the Home Office and the National Police Chiefs' Council with delivery partner Vodafone Business. According to the announcement, it matches a caller's reason for calling to likely categories and redirects non-police issues before the caller enters a queue. Pilots in 15 police forces diverted matters including damage-only road traffic incidents, fly tipping and noise complaints. The Home Office said callers are told how the system understood their reason and must accept or reject it, that calls pass directly to police if the system is in any doubt, and that callers can always speak to a handler. Use may vary by force, and the 999 system is unchanged.

Crime and Policing Minister Sarah Jones said AI was already helping police catch criminals and speed up investigations. NPCC contact operations lead A/Deputy Chief Constable Stuart Hooper called it a step in modernising public contact with policing.