APCC Chair responds to report on police call room demand
“Police officers and staff work tireless to keep us all safe and, as Police and Crime Commissioners, we have a responsibility to the public to ensure that 999 and 101 calls are dealt with in an efficient and timely fashion.
“We have seen an increase in demand for the police over recent months. This is due to a number of factors, not least the fact that the public are even more vigilant after the awful terrorist attacks that have taken place this year.
“There are also a significant number of non–policing emergency calls that policing control rooms are dealing with, which is clearly adding pressure and demand on the system. In addition, the original concept behind the 101 number was that responses to the public would be multi-agency, however, this is not the case in all areas and could be revisited.
“In order to meet this demand, police forces will be looking at the resources available to them alongside other innovative options, such as webchat and online reporting for less urgent contact. PCCs are working with Police Chiefs’ to ensure that police forces have smart systems and processes and that existing resources are allocated effectively.
“In terms of resourcing, PCCs are working alongside Police Chiefs’ and engaging with Ministers in the Home Office to ensure that the police are resourced appropriately in the future.”