Mechelen (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Mechelen and Rivierenland police launched Aidan, Belgium’s 1st digital neighbourhood police officer, offering 24/7 AI assistance on police questions, with guidance from Mayor Bart Somers and verified information only.
As VRT News reported, Mechelen and the Rivierenland police zone have introduced Aidan, a digital neighbourhood police officer. It is the 1st city in Belgium to have this system. Aidan is a chatbot that only answers residents’ questions.
Residents may inquire about lost ID cards, obtain information about their local police officer, or report bullying at school. The chatbot uses artificial intelligence to respond to police inquiries that are not urgent. Police spokesperson Somers stated that Aidan is still in training and only provides information that has been verified.
“You can only contact our chatbot Aidan with police questions.”
Bart Somers, Mayor (For Mechelen)
What is Aidan, Mechelen’s AI chatbot for police services?
Mechelen has launched Aidan, a digital neighbourhood police officer, as part of a federal government project. The system is meant to assist, not replace, regular community police officers. It provides residents with an extra tool to get reliable guidance on police-related issues. Officials say Aidan can answer many questions, allowing human officers to focus on urgent or complex matters.
Residents can contact Aidan 24/7 at digitalewikagent.be. The chatbot gives practical advice and guidance. If a question is outside its scope, Aidan directs the user to their local police officer or nearest police station. For urgent help or emergencies, citizens should still call 101.
Belgium has previously trialled digital tools in the policing domain before Aidan. In 2020, the Belgian Federal Police implemented a digital chatbot during the pandemic to assist victims of cybercrime. The application provided timely guidance and support to victims of online crime. The police in Antwerp also developed a platform called FOCUS that aggregates data from multiple sources to enhance operations.
