Residents in Cleveland are being asked to take a few minutes to tell police chiefs about their experiences of the 101 and 999 services, as well as preferences for future modes of contact.
The Police Contact Survey opened on Wednesday 18 May and runs until midnight on Sunday 26 June.
Participants are being asked a series of questions. They will test their understanding of emergency and non-emergency reporting systems. In addition the survey will ask about newly-emerging ways of contacting the police, such as online forms.
The survey is being run by the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners. It will help inform police forces, the Home Office and local commissioners of any challenges around reporting to the police. It will also assist in forming plans for the future.
The voice of the public in policing
Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner Steve Turner said: “Reporting to 101 and 999 remains a challenging area of business for police forces.
“The needs of those making contact must be understood. In addition, forces must prioritise those most in need. That means contact about routine items is sometimes not responded to as quickly as people would like.
“In addition, new technology deployed by some forces presents significant opportunities to speed up responses and open lines of communication with people who might not be comfortable using traditional methods.
“As the voice of the public in policing, all Police and Crime Commissioners are very keen to better understand their constituents’ views on these issues. We will be urging as many people as possible to respond to the survey.”
The survey can be completed by clicking on the link here: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/CrimeReporting-National-Public-Contact-Survey-APCC/
Steve has consistently made Cleveland Police’s Control Room a topic of his scrutiny and oversight processes since he was elected in 2021.
His latest probe in April found that the number of 999 calls answered by Cleveland Police in 10 seconds or less has improved over the past six months.
There has also been an overall reduction in the time taken to answer 999 calls from the public. In addition, fewer calls have been abandoned.