Vendor pitches AI call assistant to handle non-emergency police lines; board reviews proposed contract
May 29, 2026 | Board of Mayor and Aldermen Meetings, La Vergne City, Rutherford County, Tennessee
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At the May 28 workshop the Board of Mayor and Aldermen heard a vendor presentation on a plan to route non-emergency police department administrative calls to an AI voice assistant under a proposed master services agreement with Needle Inc. (DBA Luran).
Wes Jones, who identified himself as leading public safety engagement for Aurelion, said dispatch centers nationwide are inundated with non-emergency calls that pull focus from 911 dispatch. He described a system that routes routine inquiries (for example, records requests or jail information), can create calls-for-service in the dispatch CAD, and transfers callers to human staff when policy or caller preference requires it. Jones cited a health-assessment trial in which Aurelion processed sample admin calls and concluded about 69% could be handled without a live dispatcher.
Board members asked whether callers would know they were speaking to an AI. Jones said the system is customizable but that most agencies label the system (for example, "This is AVA, an automated voice assistant"). He said agencies may set resistance thresholds so callers who ask for an operator are transferred to a person.
Implementation details discussed include an 8-week setup window after contract signing for policy and route configuration and a technical step that forwards the city's 10-digit admin line to the vendor. Jones said the system is conversational AI, not a short-menu bot, and emphasized mechanisms to transfer potential emergencies immediately to a dispatcher (vendor estimate: about 57% of admin calls are identified as potential emergencies).
Board members asked about cost; a board member referenced a $35,000 annual figure during discussion of staffing and value (the vendor emphasized that the cost would be justified by reduced dispatcher workload and that the project could be funded by reallocating existing budget lines rather than increasing total expenditures).
Staff said the Needle Inc. (DBA Luran) item was on the consent agenda for approval. The board asked about compatibility with recently implemented phone-system hardening after a prior hack; the vendor indicated the service is a call-forwarding arrangement and not directly tied into other police systems, and staff said dispatchers would remain responsible for 911 calls.
The item will appear on the formal meeting agenda for approval as part of the consent agenda; the vendor and staff said public notification would be handled through social media and other channels.
Wes Jones, who identified himself as leading public safety engagement for Aurelion, said dispatch centers nationwide are inundated with non-emergency calls that pull focus from 911 dispatch. He described a system that routes routine inquiries (for example, records requests or jail information), can create calls-for-service in the dispatch CAD, and transfers callers to human staff when policy or caller preference requires it. Jones cited a health-assessment trial in which Aurelion processed sample admin calls and concluded about 69% could be handled without a live dispatcher.
Board members asked whether callers would know they were speaking to an AI. Jones said the system is customizable but that most agencies label the system (for example, "This is AVA, an automated voice assistant"). He said agencies may set resistance thresholds so callers who ask for an operator are transferred to a person.
Implementation details discussed include an 8-week setup window after contract signing for policy and route configuration and a technical step that forwards the city's 10-digit admin line to the vendor. Jones said the system is conversational AI, not a short-menu bot, and emphasized mechanisms to transfer potential emergencies immediately to a dispatcher (vendor estimate: about 57% of admin calls are identified as potential emergencies).
Board members asked about cost; a board member referenced a $35,000 annual figure during discussion of staffing and value (the vendor emphasized that the cost would be justified by reduced dispatcher workload and that the project could be funded by reallocating existing budget lines rather than increasing total expenditures).
Staff said the Needle Inc. (DBA Luran) item was on the consent agenda for approval. The board asked about compatibility with recently implemented phone-system hardening after a prior hack; the vendor indicated the service is a call-forwarding arrangement and not directly tied into other police systems, and staff said dispatchers would remain responsible for 911 calls.
The item will appear on the formal meeting agenda for approval as part of the consent agenda; the vendor and staff said public notification would be handled through social media and other channels.
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