PHOENIX — The Phoenix Police Department is preparing to roll out a new artificial intelligence program designed to help manage nonemergency 911 calls, officials announced.
The tool, called CallTriage, was developed by Canadian software company Versaterm and is expected to launch by the end of 2025.
“This technology will alleviate the need to place the public on hold for nonemergency calls and free up 911 operators to take emergency calls,” said Sgt. Lorraine Fernandez.
The move comes as emergency call centers across the country struggle with staffing shortages, high burnout rates, and retention challenges. Phoenix’s Communications Bureau currently handles around 2 million calls per year.
CallTriage is designed to route nonurgent calls to appropriate resources—such as online reporting systems—or to a dispatcher if an officer needs to respond. The AI system also supports multiple languages to assist callers from diverse backgrounds.
The department believes the new technology will help reduce call center congestion and improve emergency response times.
