A York-based company has produced a crime-fighting device it calls the ‘Bobby Bot.’

Produced by Toft Green software company Intreface, the device is newly launched an aims to tackle crime and improve neighbourhood safety.

It is a bot that uses Artificial Intelligence to allow people to report crimes, freeing up police officer time for better community face-to-face engagement.

At the push of a button, Omnie Box, to give it its proper name, lets uses speak to it in any language, ask questions, request help, or report an incident and access vital information instantly.

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The user is then promised swift replies in natural language from a human-sounding voice, making interactions easy and reassuring.

Conversations with users are transcribed and saved in a web-based control panel in real-time with alerts to the police control room using Wi-Fi or cellular networks.

Intreface Managing Director, Damian Edwards, said: “A recent survey by Neighbourhood Watch found that 28% of crimes go unreported with many respondents saying that they don’t know what to do when reporting a crime.

“Bobby Bot aims to make it straightforward for someone to make that report in a way that doesn’t take up their time and allows the police to receive a report with the details they need to kick-start the investigation.

“20 years ago, we produced a range of poster cases for the police which included a sensor that triggered a recorded message when anyone walked past. Bobby Bot is the logical next step in the development, as it allows for two-way communication.

“We believe that this device can significantly help the police and local communities and drive down anti-social behaviour. Omnie Box is the future of community safety. A revolutionary solution designed to enhance public engagement, improve safety and reduce crime.”

Quick to set up, Omnie Box comes with a built-in rechargeable battery, which is ideal for short-term use. For longer deployments, a solar module is available for long-term maintenance-free use.

Omnie Box is a versatile device that can be used for a range of different applications which help to improve community engagement, provide meaningful visitor information and support public safety.

At the moment, the company won’t disclose any customers using the system, since ‘Bobby Bot’ is so new. But a spokesperson told the Press the company has received interest already from a couple of local councils.