Halton police in Ontario uses AI in hiring, training 911 call takers

Halton police uses AI to test 911 applicants
Halton police uses AI to test 911 applicants
A Halton Regional Police logo is shown on a vehicle in Oakville, Ont., Wednesday, Jan.18, 2023.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Richard Buchan
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Halton regional police in Ontario say they are using artificial intelligence in the recruitment and training of 911 call takers and dispatchers.

They say American AI firm GovWorx provides the technology to create emergency call simulations to help 911 applicants improve their decision-making, communication and crisis management skills.

Halton police say the use of AI in the hiring of 911 communicators reduces candidate evaluation time by 50 per cent.

They say the force is the first in Canada to use AI in training for 911 call takers and dispatchers.

Halton police started using another AI technology called SARA AI to take certain types of non-emergency phone calls.

They say the bot has answered 95,367 calls so far this year and sent more than 2,470 text messages to people to report events through alternate means like websites or the collision reporting centre.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 9, 2026.

Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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