Avon and Somerset Police will switch over from 0845 4567000 to 101 on

MONDAY 19th SEPTEMBER 2011

101 is a new national non-emergency number being rolled out across the country in five phases between now and December 2011. Forces in the South East have gone live with the new number and we are in the second phase, along with the rest of the South West region.

While 999 is a well recognised number to report emergencies, the 2010 British Crime Survey found that only 54% of the public knew which telephone number to call if they wanted to speak to their local police about policing, non urgent crime and anti-social behaviour issues.

How will it work?
When a member of the public calls 101, the system will determine the caller’s location and connect them to the police force covering that area. They will hear a recorded message announcing which police force they are being connected to. If a caller is on a boundary between two or more forces, the recorded message will give them a choice of which force to be connected to.
Our existing call handlers will then answer the calls and respond appropriately. The caller will not be put through to a large national call centre.

How much does it cost to call?
Calls to the 101 non-emergency number will cost 15 pence for the entire call, no matter how long the call or what time of day it is. This applies to both landlines and mobile phones.

Regards

Yvonne MEARS
PCSO7744 Coleford Beat