VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office has added an artificial intelligence-powered assistant to answer non-emergency calls, aiming to free up dispatchers and improve operational efficiency, WESH reported.
When calling the department’s non-emergency line, residents are now greeted with: “My name is Ava. How can I help you today?”
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Sheriff Mike Chitwood said Ava is handling a wide range of lower-priority issues, such as noise complaints, minor traffic issues and potholes.
“This is the cats in the tree, loud music, disabled auto, pothole... this is all the stuff that comes into the non-emergency number that we’re going to funnel out,” Chitwood told WESH.
Ava is also programmed to detect signs of a potential emergency. In one case, a caller initially described a minor car accident but mentioned having chest pains. Ava flagged the comment and immediately transferred the call to 911, according to the report.
“She picked it up and said, ‘Hold on, I’m transferring you to 911,’” Chitwood said.
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The sheriff’s office says the integration of Ava, which started in August, has led to measurable internal changes. Several dispatchers previously assigned to non-emergency calls have now been reassigned to emergency response, helping reduce overtime and mandatory off-day shifts, a frequent strain on staff, according to the report.
“People are actually getting more time off, which is good for their mental health,” Chitwood said.
The office now requires just one supervisor to oversee the AI-handled calls, ensuring Ava’s interactions are appropriately resolved.
