Our City p4
6/11/08
4 Our City
11:25
Page 1
NOVEMBER 2008
New number to contact the police THE single non-emergency telephone number for Staffordshire Police has been changed to 0300 123 4455. The new number was chosen with the help of members of the public who are members of the force’s Citizens’ Panel as well as the Communications Independent Advisory Group because it’s easy to remember and dial. It replaces the previous 0845-type number following advice from Ofcom, regulator of the UK communications industry. The new number allows the public to make non-emergency calls to Staffordshire Police for the price of a local call from both landline and mobile phones – and they can be included in inclusive call minutes or discount schemes such as “Friends and Family” packages. Calls to 0300 123 4455 are handled by highly trained operators who are all experienced police staff. You can use this number to get in touch with your local beat bobby or Police Community Support Officer (PCSO). Details of how to do this are featured on page 22 of Our City. To contact police regarding an emergency you still dial 999. An emergency call is defined as an inquiry relating to: ● Violence being used or threatened. ● A danger to life. ● A crime in progress or an offender who has been disturbed. ● A road collision involving injury. ● A non-injury road collision causing serious traffic congestion.
The first point of call for non-emergencies – Jane Mulliner, one of the Public Service Desk Operatives based at Hanley Police Station.
The call handlers who
solve problems F
OR a person who spends most of her working life on the phone listening to other people’s problems, Jane Mulliner appears to be surprisingly happy in her job.
She is one of the Public Service Desk Operatives based in a first floor suite at Hanley Police Station who between them each day handle hundreds of non-emergency calls made to the police by members of the public. Like all her colleagues who run the service on rotating shifts between 7am and 2am the following day, Jane uses touch screen computer technology to pass on details to a relevant police officer or put callers through to other agencies who can provide the help they need. If she does consider a call needs urgent action, Jane passes it by computer to the Hanley Control Room downstairs where similar technology backed up by pinpoint accurate computer mapping systems means that 90 per cent of emergency 999 calls are answered within 30 seconds – one of the best response rates in the country.
Typically Jane deals with three to four calls each hour of her nine-hour shift, though there are no targets. The priority is to give each caller all the time needed to listen to their problem and deal with it in the best possible way. In fact when Our City visited the Public Service Desk unit it had already received 266 calls that day – and it was only halfway through the normal operating hours.
Crime details Jane has been a member of police staff for 16 years – and as a Special Constable she also gets to help the community with face-to-face contact rather than through her headset. She said: “Most of the calls I deal with will not involve sending a police officer to the scene – at least, not immediately. Typically, the crimes I deal with are vehicles that have been broken into overnight, handbag thefts, reports of anti social behaviour and assaults or robberies which have taken place. “I take all the crime details and investigate by phone. That means I ask the caller about CCTV in the vicinity of the incident, whether they heard or
saw anything suspicious and arrange for a scene-of-crime officer to visit them and arrange for a statement to be taken. “But you never know what the next call will be about. People use our number to talk to us about a whole range of problems, such as domestic violence, mental health issues or their children’s behavioural problems. “Some, like the elderly who may be worried about the presence of large numbers of young people near their home, often just need to be reassured, and usually we are able to put their minds at rest. “If we can’t offer direct police assistance, I can advise callers about the best people to contact – such as social services, Citizens Advice Bureau or the city council – and can often connect them to the relevant service through my computer.” Jane added: “To do this job you need to be experienced and have a knowledge of criminal and civil law – but the most important qualifications are common sense and the ability to listen. A lot of people who ring are grateful for the reassurance and advice we offer. “It just helps them to talk to
someone like us about a problem or something that’s worrying them. “I love the job. Every day is different and it’s very rewarding to be able to help someone even if you don’t see them face-to-face. It gives me a sense of achievement.” Public Service Desk Operatives like Jane sometimes receive touching letters and cards thanking them for their help. “That makes it all worthwhile. It’s nice to know that what we do is appreciated,” said Jane.
Help and advice Steve Clews, Deputy Manager of the Hanley Control Room which works closely with the Public Service Desk and handles the 0300 non-emergency calls when operatives are busy, said: “The Public Service Desk staff do a superb job by taking pressure off the Control Room and allowing us to focus on reacting in the fastest and most efficient way to emergency calls. “The operatives are able to provide non-999 callers with all the help, advice and time that they need and the operatives are an effective first point of contact for many people who need the help of the police.”