Written by Kate Isbey,
Jan 9, 2026
When people reach out to the police, it’s often at a moment of vulnerability, when something has happened that has shaken their sense of safety and left them unsure what to do next. They may feel anxious, overwhelmed, or uncertain about whether they are using the right channel, sharing the right information, or even raising the right issue at all. At the same time, forces are managing rising volumes of calls, messages, and digital contact under sustained pressure, yet every interaction still represents a person looking for reassurance and support. Meeting these moments in a way that feels timely, confident, and compassionate has become one of the most important challenges facing UK policing today.
But a more supportive, intelligent approach is beginning to take shape.
At the end of last year, Thames Valley Police and Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary, and Humberside Police working in collaboration with Salesforce and other leading partners, publicly introduced Bobbi, a pioneering AI-powered virtual assistant. Created to support people at the point they need help most, Bobbi marks a new phase in how police forces are using AI to support public contact.
Meet Bobbi
Bobbi is a new 24/7 virtual assistant designed to give the public fast, reliable answers to everyday policing questions.
Bobbi lives on the Thames Valley Police website and appears in that handy bottom-right corner pop-up box. At first glance, it looks and feels familiar. But the moment the conversation starts, the difference comes as a pleasant surprise. Instead of rigid menus or frustrating loops, Bobbi responds like a helpful member of staff who is genuinely listening. You can explain your concerns or what’s on your mind in plain language, without worrying about choosing the right option or phrasing things perfectly. For people already feeling anxious or unsure, that small shift makes a big difference. Unlike classic chatbots that follow a rigid script, the conversation feels natural, engaging and responsive to how you express yourself.
From there, Bobbi steps in to help with everyday, non-emergency needs such as lost property, local advice, or how to share information with the police. Replies arrive quickly and are written in a calm, supportive way that helps steady the situation rather than create friction or confusion. While the experience may feel new and more human, the reassurance comes from what sits underneath. Bobbi draws on the same approved policing knowledge used by your local police contact teams, kept current as guidance changes, so people can trust the information they receive. And when a situation reaches a point where human judgement is needed, Bobbi seamlessly directs the conversation straight through to the digital desk where trained police staff take over, allowing support to continue without anyone having to start again.
Demo of Bobbi in action (Resource produced by Salesforce).
Real impact from day one
The value of Bobbi becomes clearest in moments where asking for help feels hardest. While most conversations focus on everyday questions, Bobbi has already supported people during moments of genuine distress, when reaching out to the police felt difficult or even impossible. In one case, a person used the chat discreetly while hiding in a bathroom during a domestic abuse incident, unable to speak out loud. In another, someone reached out from overseas after escaping harm, where calling the police was not an option. These moments show how accessible, always-on support can reach people who might not otherwise be able to ask for help.
Andy Doran (Salesforce), Tom Kempster (Thames Valley Police) and Emily Hill (Salesforce) discussing Bobbi at Agentforce World Tour 2025.
Bobbi’s early success hasn’t gone unnoticed. When the AI assistant was featured at this year’s Agentforce World Tour, it gave people a chance to see Bobbi in action. The demo showed how AI assistants can be introduced into public services safely and responsibly, without losing sight of the people it’s there to support. It also sparked fresh interest across the sector, reinforcing the value of pairing Agentforce technology with clear, real-world goals. With Salesforce providing the platform and forces shaping the service, the collaboration is showing how digital innovation and frontline policing can work together to deliver meaningful public benefit.
How Bobbi works
Bobbi is built on Salesforce AI within the Agentforce platform, with security and control at its core. When a member of the public asks a question, Bobbi is only able to answer using the information and policing knowledge that the force has approved for public use. Bobbi doesn’t trawl the open internet or dip into confidential systems or personal records. Instead, those who are speaking with Bobbi can feel rest assured they’re chatting with a service that has been purpose-built to share trusted policing advice, right from the very first reply.
Each question is carefully matched to the most relevant guidance, and the response is created directly from that source. For people using Bobbi, this means they can feel confident they are receiving trusted advice that reflects how members of the contact team would actually respond, not a guess or generic answer. If an answer is unclear or needs improvement, police teams can review and refine the guidance behind it, strengthening future responses.
For the public, it means the experience feels simpler and more reassuring. People can ask questions in their own words and receive answers grounded in the same knowledge used by contact teams. Nothing has to be repeated, and nothing falls through the gaps, even when a real person needs to step in.
Infomentum's review of Bobbi
Our team on the ground has been both excited and energised by what Bobbi represents. Working hands-on with the assistant has shown how imaginative and natural it can feel, often responding in ways that spark curiosity and reminding us that AI can hold both intelligence and warmth. Through this practical testing, we quickly learned how to guide Bobbi toward steady, helpful responses while preserving the qualities that make it feel approachable.
“Building and refining Bobbi showed us just how friendly and capable AI can be when shaped with purpose. It feels like the beginning of something that will support public service in new ways.” - Shaha Alam, Head of Automation and Agentic Solutions at Infomentum
Whilst our team is working on rolling out Bobbi to three additional forces, we’re also helping to refine behaviour, test real interactions and advise on the safe and effective use of Agentforce within policing. While the forces and Salesforce have led the creation, this close involvement is building insight that we will carry forward to support other organisations as they begin their own journeys with AI assistants.
AI and policing moving forward together
Bobbi marks a moment where digital support becomes part of everyday policing. People get quick answers to routine questions, staff regain time for work that needs human experience and judgement, and the whole service starts to feel more responsive.
Thames Valley Police and Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary and Humberside Police are among the first to bring this approach into real contact environments. Their early work has shown that an assistant like Bobbi can sit alongside existing teams, supporting both staff and the public in a way that feels safe, practical, and grounded in day-to-day reality.
Now that momentum is building, other forces are exploring how this approach could support their own services too. What started as a promising idea is steadily becoming part of how policing connects with the public, day in and day out.
A turning point for UK public service
Bobbi shows what becomes possible when practical AI is applied to real frontline needs. In a short space of time, it has helped the public find answers more easily and reduced pressure on contact teams, demonstrating that AI can support communities in a safe and responsible way.
Now in 2026, interest has moved firmly into action. Many organisations are looking for a practical first step, rather than starting from scratch. Our Agentforce Jumpstart package offers a guided way to do just that, turning your policies, guidance and FAQs into a working Agentforce-powered assistant shaped around your services and your users.
With Salesforce providing the technology foundations and policing teams driving change on the ground, a new model for digital public service is taking shape. Infomentum is proud to support this shift, bringing leadership in agentic AI, proven delivery approaches and shared learning that can be reused across forces to accelerate progress and reduce cost.
Bobbi is just the beginning. The focus now is on widening adoption and helping more organisations turn ambition into real, practical change. Get in touch to explore how an Agentforce-powered assistant could support your services and your users.
