Public wait less than a minute to reach control room to report non-emergency incidents

Members of the public will wait less than a minute to reach Nottinghamshire Police’s control room to report non-emergency incidents.

The 101 number is used by the public for any non-emergency calls which can include passing on information about a current investigation or to report something suspicious in their area which might need police attendance.

At the end of May, all police forces will be publishing their 101 call wait times and Nottinghamshire Police has one of the best records.

When a member of the public in Nottinghamshire calls 101, they will be asked which police force they wish to be connected to.

Once they choose the Nottinghamshire Police option to report new incidents or to update an incident, the average wait time is zero.

This means that from the initial 101 call being made to being connected to one of our control room staff is on average around 58 seconds.

Nottinghamshire Police has worked extremely hard to ensure that the public can reach us quickly when they need to pass on information.

Last year, the police service relaunched its non-emergency 101 service to ensure the public are immediately directed to the department who can answer their inquiry.

By reducing the number of options for a caller to choose from when calling 101, callers can now spend less time waiting, which will improve public confidence as a result.

The police service receives more than 400,000 calls a year through the 101 number.

Superintendent Simon Allardice, responsible for Nottinghamshire Police’s contact management, said:

“We have worked extremely hard as a police service to ensure that the public can reach us as quickly as possible.

“Last year we made subtle but significant changes to improve people’s first impression when calling our non-emergency number.

“The whole experience is much more user-friendly and ensures the public can speak to the right person who can answer their questions. It also offers a more personalised service.

“The average wait time to reach our control room once dialling 101 is 58 seconds. Once you have chosen the option of Nottinghamshire Police, the average wait time is zero.

“Of course, it is not a given that all calls will be answered immediately due to the demand on our control room during major incidents or if we are dealing with a high number of emergency calls.

“However, we are delighted that overall callers won’t be waiting very long to speak to one of our operators who can help them immediately.”

Like other police forces, Nottinghamshire Police also encourages the public to use its online reporting and live chat options through its website.

One of the fastest ways to report non-emergency crimes is using our online crime reporting service which can be found here.

We are keen to understand the experience people have had when they call Nottinghamshire Police and encourage them to complete the survey they will be offered at the end of their call.