NewsNBC 7 San Diego — Local NewsJuly 1, 2026San Diego
El Cajon Police Now Using AI to Answer Non-Emergency Calls
The El Cajon Police Department has launched an AI-powered system named 'Ava' to handle non-emergency calls, becoming the first city in California to do so. The system is designed to reduce caller hold times and allow human dispatchers to focus on emergency situations.
Read the full story at NBC 7 San Diego — Local NewsWhy It Matters
Residents calling the El Cajon non-emergency line will now interact with an automated system that translates into Spanish and Arabic, while 911 calls remain routed directly to human dispatchers.
Key Facts
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Who's Mentioned
personJeremiah Larson“Chief of the El Cajon Police Department.”organizationAurelian“The tech company providing the AI system.”personCraig Groll“Communications manager for the El Cajon Police Department.”otherAva“The AI system used to screen non-emergency calls.”organizationEl Cajon Police Department“The police department implementing the AI system.”locationCalifornia“The state where El Cajon is the first to adopt this technology.”