New Cambrideshire Police Non-Emergency Number
CAMBRIDGESHIRE POLICE is launching a new single non-emergency number. The new number 0845 456 456 4 replaces the many different switchboard numbers that were previously used, meaning non-emergency calls to police are now simpler and the cost is reduced for the majority of callers.
The number change is a part of a longer-term national drive to maximise performance, improve contact with the public as well as call handling.
Chief Constable Tom Lloyd said: "The number is being introduced to give callers a better service. Up until now we have had at least five different nonemergency numbers by which the public made contact with us. These were often difficult to remember and depended on where you were in the county. The move to a single non-emergency number will help people easily remember our contact number and will also reduce the number of 999 calls which should have been non-emergency calls but were made by those who did not know or could not remember the many numbers previously used."
Work is also underway to build and staff a modern customer service centre in Peterborough which is expected to be completed towards the end of the year.
This will allow non-emergency calls coming in through the single number to be directed to either the Customer Service Centre or a specific department. The Customer Service Centre will aim to resolve the call straight away but if it can't do that then the best-placed department to deal will be allocated the call.
Mr Lloyd added: "We still have a long way to go in terms of getting the new Customer Service Centre finished and getting the right level of staff and training in place. But we'll then be in a much stronger position to manage phone calls and direct callers to the most experienced and best-placed staff to handle queries."
For more information please ring the Customer Relationship management Team on 0845 456 456 4. Please ask for Superintendent Mick Gipp or Chief Inspector Jane Weir. Alternatively, ring David Ward in the Press Office.
The new single non-emergency number does not affect the 999 service which should continue to be used for emergencies.
The existing switchboard numbers will not be switched off for a number of months.
The switchboard deal with an average of 72,000 calls a month
Of those calls 84 per cent are answered within the 30 second target
Most calls to the switchboard are answered in 14 seconds