For a growing number of Los Angeles residents who dial 911, the first response is a wait. In 2024, the city answered only 57.43% of 911 calls within California’s 15-second standard, and non-emergency callers sat on hold for an average of about 3 minutes and 40 seconds. Dispatchers and city staff say chronic staffing gaps and rising call volume have stretched the LAPD Communications Division thin, reopening a debate over how to fix it, including whether to bring in commercial AI call-takers that already handle routine lines in other parts of the country.
Why L.A.’s 911 system is strained
An April 22, 2025 City Council motion found that just 57.43% of emergency calls met the 15-second benchmark last year and noted that non-emergency calls can linger on hold for minutes, according to the City Council motion. The filing reported that the department hired 144 new Police Service Representatives in 2024 but said training takes a full year and vacancies remain, leaving fewer experienced operators on the floor at any given time. The motion instructed the Chief Legislative Analyst and LAPD to report back with ways to improve answer times, including a possible dedicated non-emergency number or partnerships with outside providers.
What the AI would do
One option on the table is a conversational assistant from Seattle startup Aurelian. Its system, called Ava, can answer dedicated non-emergency 10-digit lines, collect details about incidents and then escalate urgent reports to human dispatchers, according to Aurelian. The company and participating agencies say the tool hooks into computer-aided dispatch systems, supports dozens of languages and eliminates hold times on the lines it handles. Kitsap 911, which launched an Ava-powered non-emergency line in May, says the platform now automates roughly 70% of non-emergency calls across its partner agencies and that the rollout has been paired with public education about when residents should use the new number.
Where the tech is already being used
Industry coverage has followed some of the early adopters. GovTech documented Kalamazoo County’s deployment, while Aurelian used a Business Wire release to describe an on-screen copilot called Cora that supports live call-takers. Agencies testing these systems say they can peel off routine administrative work and generate auditable records for supervisors to review. Aurelian and local managers emphasize that the products are designed to back up human telecommunicators, with calls transferred to a person whenever a situation is or becomes urgent.
Can AI fix L.A.'s problem?
Supporters argue that a dedicated, AI-backed non-emergency lane could cut hold times and free up scarce Police Service Representatives to focus on true emergencies. Watchdogs and technologists, though, are raising flags about accuracy, language equity and how these tools plug into real-world workflows. Axios reports that agencies piloting the tech are watching closely to see how well it recognizes accents and corrects mistakes in real time. The City Council motion, for its part, warns that any new model would need to be paired with training, staffing investments and a community education campaign. For Los Angeles, which still reports unfilled PSR positions, officials say any automation would complement hiring, not replace it.
What to watch next
Key signals to watch include whether the Chief Legislative Analyst and LAPD recommend a new non-emergency line, an outside contract or both; how any pilot treats multilingual callers and ambiguous situations; and whether telecommunicator unions and community groups are satisfied with the safeguards on offer. If City Hall decides to test AI in the 911 ecosystem, observers can expect a limited pilot, close tracking of how often calls are escalated correctly and public metrics before any broader rollout, mirroring the cautious path other counties have taken as they try to speed up response times without sacrificing safety.
