Agent Bobbi

To be published 15 July 2026
Version 1.0

Specific Privacy Notice

Who we are

Data Controller

The person who determines the purpose and means by which your personal data is processed.

The Controller is:

Chief Constable of Essex Police
Essex Police HQ
PO Box 2
Chelmsford
CM2 6DA
Section 44(1)(a)

Data Protection Officer

Data Protection Officer
Essex Police HQ,
PO Box 2
Chelmsford
CM2 6DA
Email: [email protected]

Section 44(1)(a)

Summary of Agent Bobbi

Essex Police is the controller for personal data processed through Agent Bobbi when the service is used on the Essex Police website or related Essex Police digital services.

Agent Bobbi is an AI virtual assistant used to help members of the public with non-emergency, low-risk enquiries. It provides information and guidance and, where required, may help direct the user to a human agent or other appropriate contact route.

This notice explains how Essex Police collects, uses, stores and shares personal data when you use Agent Bobbi.

What Agent Bobbi is used for

Agent Bobbi is provided as an additional digital contact option for non-emergency enquiries. It is not a replacement for 999, 101, or existing reporting routes.

Agent Bobbi may be used to:

• Answer general non-emergency policing enquiries;
• Provide information based on approved Essex Police knowledge articles;
• Help users find the correct service or contact route;
• Provide a summary and full chat history to a human agent if the chat is transferred;
• Support service monitoring, audit, safeguarding, public safety and service improvement.

Agent Bobbi does not make policing decisions, take enforcement action, or determine the outcome of any report or enquiry.

What personal data we may collect

The information collected depends on what you provide during the chat. This may include:

• your name;
• your contact details;
• details of your enquiry;
• any information you choose to type into the chat;
• information about incidents, concerns or circumstances you disclose;
• technical information such as your IP address;
• chat metadata, including time, date, reference number and interaction details;
• a summary of the chat.

You should only provide information that is relevant to your enquiry.

Special category and sensitive information

You may choose to provide information that is more sensitive, such as information about health, vulnerability, safeguarding concerns, criminal offences or other personal circumstances.

Where this type of information is provided, Essex Police will process it only where necessary and proportionate for policing purposes, safeguarding, public safety, service delivery, legal obligations, or the management of your enquiry.

How your information is collected

Personal data is collected directly from you when you use Agent Bobbi and type information into the chat.

Some technical information, such as your IP address, may be collected automatically in the background. This supports security monitoring, fraud prevention, safeguarding, audit and protection of the service.

Before using the service, you will be told that you are interacting with an AI virtual assistant.

How your information is used

For law enforcement purposes, defined as the prevention, investigation, detection or prosecution of criminal offences, the execution of criminal penalties, including the safeguarding against and the prevention of threats to public security, or the policing purpose.

For general purposes; processing that is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller.

Use of artificial intelligence

Agent Bobbi uses artificial intelligence to provide conversational responses based on approved knowledge articles and controlled instructions.

The AI is restricted by guardrails and is designed to provide factual, policing-relevant information. It is not used to make final decisions about you.

A human agent may become involved where the chat is transferred or where information needs to be reviewed or acted upon by Essex Police staff.

Lawful basis for processing

Essex Police processes personal data through Agent Bobbi where it is necessary for policing purposes, the performance of tasks carried out in the public interest, the exercise of official authority, safeguarding, public safety, service delivery, audit, security and compliance with legal obligations.

Depending on the nature of the enquiry, processing may fall under:

• UK GDPR Article 6(1)(e): public task;
• UK GDPR Article 6(1)(c): legal obligation, where applicable;
• UK GDPR Article 9 conditions where special category data is provided;
• Data Protection Act 2018 provisions for law enforcement processing where the information relates to policing or law enforcement purposes.

Who has access to your information

Access to information is restricted to authorised Essex Police staff and approved service providers who require access for a legitimate policing, operational, technical, audit, safeguarding or service delivery purpose.

This may include:

• authorised contact management staff;
• authorised Essex Police personnel involved in reviewing or responding to enquiries;
• system administrators and technical support staff;
• approved suppliers and processors acting on behalf of Essex Police;
• staff responsible for audit, security, quality assurance, safeguarding or service improvement.

Sharing your information

Your information may be shared where necessary and proportionate for policing, safeguarding, public safety, legal, operational, audit or service delivery purposes.

This may include sharing with:

• authorised Essex Police teams;
• approved processors and suppliers;
• other policing systems where the information needs to be recorded or acted upon;
• Kent Police, where controlled sharing is operationally required and subject to agreed governance and access controls;
• other organisations where there is a lawful basis to share, such as safeguarding partners, emergency services, regulators or law enforcement bodies.

Information will only be shared where there is a lawful reason to do so.

How long we keep your information

Agent Bobbi chats where only advice has been given, will be retained for 12 months.

Agent Bobbi chats where the interaction has been resolved by passing to a human operator will be retained for seven years.

At the end of the relevant retention period, information will be deleted or disposed of securely in line with Essex Police processes.

Your rights

You have rights under data protection law. Depending on the type of processing, these may include the right to:

• be informed about how your data is used;
• request access to your personal data;
• ask for inaccurate data to be corrected;
• ask for processing to be restricted in certain circumstances;
• request deletion of personal data where this applies.

Some rights may be restricted where the information is processed for law enforcement purposes, safeguarding, public safety, legal obligations, crime prevention or investigation.

How to contact Essex Police about your data

You can contact the Essex Police Data Protection Officer through the published contact details on the Essex Police website.

 Data Protection Officer
Essex Police HQ,
PO Box 2
Chelmsford
CM2 6DA
Email: [email protected]

Complaints

If you have a concern or questions regarding how your data is being processed the Data Protection Officer can be contacted at:

Data Protection Officer
Essex Police HQ,
PO Box 2
Chelmsford
CM2 6DA
Email: [email protected]

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office, which is the UK regulator for data protection.