AI assistant at Owen Sound Communications Centre

** MEDIA RELEASE **

THE OWEN SOUND EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS CENTRE INTRODUCES AI ASSISTANT TO SUPPORT NON-EMERGENCY CALLS

Police services across North America are experiencing increasing demand on their non-emergency phone lines. Calls related to minor property damage, lost property, and general inquiries often account for a significant portion of a dispatcher’s workload. While these calls are important, they frequently compete with higher-priority operational duties that require immediate human attention. As call volumes continue to rise, dispatch services are exploring new technologies to improve accessibility, efficiency, and response times for the public.

The Owen Sound Police Service provides dispatching and call answering services for the Saugeen Shores Police Service. On March 10th, 2026, the Owen Sound Emergency Communications Centre and Hyper AI, introduced a new AI answering assistant, CARA – Community Assistance and Response Agent.

CARA — is an Artificial Intelligence (AI) system designed to support the management of non-emergency communications, general inquiries, and basic report intake. CARA will assist dispatchers by helping process general inquiries and non-emergency calls for service, allowing communications staff to focus more effectively on urgent and complex situations.

By integrating an AI-based answering assistant into the non-emergency phone system, the Communications Centre can provide callers with immediate engagement, structured information gathering, and intelligent call routing. CARA will greet callers, identify the nature of their request, collect preliminary details, and either provide relevant information or transfer the call to the appropriate human operator when necessary.
“The introduction of CARA is an important step forward in how we support the communities we serve,” said Chief Ambrose, Chief of the Owen Sound Police Service. “Our dispatchers handle a significant volume of calls every day for multiple communities across Ontario. By introducing AI technology to assist with non-emergency inquiries, we can ensure our dispatchers remain focused on urgent situations while still providing prompt and efficient service to the public.”

By leveraging technology responsibly and transparency, the Owen Sound Emergency Communications Centre aims to improve service delivery, reduce operational strain, and better serve the needs of the communities it supports.