Bedfordshire PCC praises efforts of Police during International Control Room Week

This is International Control Room Week for the police across the globe.

This week provides an opportunity to put the spotlight on the Bedfordshire Police Force Control Room, who take on average 340 calls a day. So far this year, our FCR have answered over 92,000 emergency 999 calls.

The Force Control Room answers 999 emergency calls and assesses and triages the severity of the calls. The senior officer then dispatches patrol and other specialist officers such as the firearms team to incidents across the county.

It also handles less urgent calls and reports of crimes from the public.

It works closely with other blue light services including the Fire and Rescue Service and the Ambulance Service.

It is very often the first point of contact for victims of crimes and witnesses of serious incidents from homicides to burglaries to traffic accidents and much more. The work can be stressful and traumatic. It is vital to the safety of the people of Bedfordshire.

The team is supported by specialist colleagues in handling domestic abuse, and domestic violence calls.

Callers especially of 999 calls often face an emergency, and the control room team are able to offer reassurance, and listen to callers in ways that ensure that the critical facts are understood quickly and empathetically.

John Tizard, the Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner was joined by his Deputy Umme Ali on a visit to the Force Control Room today.

John thanked the team of police officers and police staff who provide this vital public service 24 hours every day of the year.

Umme and John spoke to members of the team and the senior leadership. They also listened into calls from the public.

John praised the team for the significant improvement the Control Room’s performance over the last year since he was elected. He noted that:

•  91.3% of 999 calls are answered within 10 seconds, exceeding the national target of 90%

And that:

• on average 101 non-emergency calls are answered within 6 minutes; and there is an effective call back system to respond to calls not answered in 6 minutes
• there are excellent online and web chat facilities available to the public to report crime

John was concerned to hear that there are a significant number of calls that are not appropriate for the control room yet take up the time which could be better deployed for real emergencies. The Control Room will signpost callers to local authorities, the NHS and other relevant bodies. It is not there to answer enquiries about delays in the delivery of pizzas, which ridiculously has happened more than once.

Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner, John Tizard said:  

“The Force Control Room plays a very critical role in policing and ensuring the safety of the public. The professional approach of the officers and police staff is remarkable. On behalf of the people of Bedfordshire I wish to thank them and praise their commitment to public services.

“The improvement in performance over the last year has been significant. This is a great foundation to build on.

“I recognise that teams can hear some very disturbing reports from victims. These events can be traumatic, and we owe the team a great deal.

“The assessment of incidents means that there is an appropriate response. This matters.

“I would urge the public to always dial 999 when there is a risk to live or when a crime is underway or when they feel at risk. I would urge them to use the 101 number or online reporting for all other issues so that the 999 channel is available for the most urgent incidents.

“Above all I would urge everyone to report all crimes or suspicious activities. The public safety depends on this – call and you will get a fast professional response from the Control Room team.”

International Control Room Week runs from 27 October – 2 November.