The Greensboro Police Department (GPD) is going to be using robots to assist victims of burglary.
Well, not robots exactly but chatbots – something like Siri or Alexa but programmed to help victims of burglary know what to do – and the communication is by typing out questions on the website, not by shouting out, “Hey Siri.”
The GPD is participating in a pilot project developed by RTI International that offers support for burglary victims through an automated conversational assistant or chatbot.
The RTI chatbot, called the Enhanced Virtual Victim Assistant (EVVA), is designed to improve the ability of law enforcement to respond to victims and refer them to community-based support and services without an additional drain on limited police resources.
According to the Bureau of Justice statistics, currently fewer than 5 percent of burglary victims receive assistance.
In addition to connecting burglary victims to resources and support, EVVA will advise burglary victims on what to expect after a burglary occurs and steps to take to secure their residence and personal items, to lessen the chance of it happening again.
EVVA will also provide links to GPD phone numbers and email addresses.
Chatbots are currently being used across a wide range of industries including banking, retail, healthcare and government to enhance customer service.
Even if you haven’t had a break-in or burglary lately, you can check out EVVA by clicking here Greensboro EVVA Website or going to https://burglaryhelp.com/greensboro/
The topics EVVA lists that it can provide help with include:
- Steps to making your home safe after a break-in
- Your rights as a renter
- Reporting information about who broke into your home
- What to expect with burglary investigations
- Navigating the department
- Filing an insurance claim
- Replacing stolen documents
- Finding and replacing stolen items
- Common responses to burglary and counseling options
- Information about talking to children about what happened
- Other options for getting help
There is also a “Victim Toolkit” tab on the EVVA home page that provides more information on what to do after a burglary.
Maybe we could get some of these to serve as council members and commissioners. They could be programmed to ask the right questions and give directions. This is something the current groups are incapable of mastering.
Clark Howard has a name for this:
Customer No Service. This is a direct response to community review boards, fewer officers and more mental health morons on the streets. Wokesboro is headed for hell faster than the train taking them there!
God help Greensboro.
I have a low-tech solution for burglars. Fortunately, many locals have the same solution. This fact is the only thinking keeping most burglars out of our homes now.
Or, you can move to the UK or Australia, or NYC, where you are not allowed to defend yourself when confronted by a burglar or armed attacker.
“Hello. The GPD is experiencing a greater than usual shortage of officers thanks to city council. Please stay on the line and a robot will assist you in….45 minutes…..Hello. Your call is very important to us. The GPD is experiencing a greater than usual shortage of officers……”