Cheshire Police are reminding the public of the national non-emergency telephone number − ‘101′. Effective for over a year now, the introduction of ‘101′ has been part of a national programme to make it easier for members of the public to contact police in a non-emergency, where an immediate police response is not required.
When should the public call 101?
You should call 101 to report less urgent crime or disorder, to contact the police with general enquiries or if you just want to speak to a local officer. This can include −
- If your car has been stolen
- If your property has been damaged
- If you are reporting a minor traffic incident
- If you suspect drug use or dealing
- Giving police information about crime in your area
Assistant Chief Constable, Janette McCormick said:
"People in Cheshire have told us that the memorable number 101 makes it much easier to contact us. You have also told us you use the 101 number rather than using 999 when there is not a need for an emergency response. We have certainly seen this in the calls we are answering in the control centre.
With your support, we can better make decisions and ensure we get officers to the most urgent incidents first. We responded to over 23,000 incidents in January and of those needing an emergency response we were there in less than 11 minutes. The simple number has also encouraged people to call us to report incidents and information and that ensures we keep people safe."
Calls to 101 will not change the way in which Cheshire Police respond to non-emergency calls, they will continue to be managed by officers and staff who work in the call handling centre.
There is a single flat rate charge of 15 pence, no matter how long the duration of the call is, what time of day it is or whether the call is from a landline or mobile phone.
However, the public are reminded to always call 999 in an emergency, where there is a threat to life or a crime in progress.
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