Want info on 311? Ask Alexa to get it

Starting Wednesday, Albuquerque residents can use Amazon Alexa or an Alexa-enabled device to contact the city’s 311 service to answer questions or generate service tickets for common issues.

A partnership between the city and Oracle, the service will let residents ask Alexa, an interactive voice developed by Amazon, to report abandoned vehicles, missed trash pickup, request large item pickups, report weed and litter violations, and graffiti or look up the status of a 311 ticket.

Users will need to say, “Alexa, open Albuquerque 311” on their device.

Residents also can use Alexa to answer more than 100 frequently asked questions, including the address, phone number, hours of operations, admission fees and holiday information about city-owned museums, golf courses, pools, tennis facilities, and BioPark facilities.

The Alexa service is not intended to replace 311 agents at the city’s Citizen Contact Center, said Department of Technology and Innovation Director Peter Ambs in a statement.

“The service will be available 24 hours a day, which extends the availability of 311 beyond the current 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday that 311 operators work,” Ambs said.

Alexa does not respond to 911 inquiries, however. People will still need to dial 911 for emergencies.