More than a dozen new specialist jobs are being created by the police in the Highlands to better assess the risk to callers.
The 15 resolution team assistants will support officers already working from headquarters in Inverness.
The group has already been operating since October to provide local knowledge and experience to calls from across the north.
Members of the public will still dial 101 or 999, however, the trained officers and staff will be the point of contact to assess the threat, harm, risk and vulnerability of the people involved to prioritise the report.
Police hope the enhanced assessment will help to provide the right response to calls while better targeting resources and protect frontline officers during the pandemic.
Potential resolutions that could be used include advice over the phone, face-to-face appointments or via video technology.
Assistant Chief Constable John Hawkins said: “Police Scotland remains absolutely committed to decentralising its workforce and ensuring national resources are distributed around the country.
“The establishment of the Inverness resolution team has been a major investment in services in the north and a significant milestone in the ongoing development of call handling services for Scotland.
“The creation of 15 new posts is a welcome addition to the specialist team already in place, who have been playing a vital role in supporting and protecting members of the public at this challenging time.”