How could they make calling the police more efficient?

A recent article shows that there has been an increase of pointless 999 calls (911 for you in the stateside).

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/skynews/2008013...

But lets face it, who knows their local police number off by heart?

Wouldn't it be better if a seperate number was set up (900 or something) that you could dial to be put through to a national police switchboard which could then forward your call to your local police station, with area codes from phones this could be almost instant, and for a small charge even revenue could be gained from it.

Just a thought, over to you

Yes - 999 is for ongoing emergencies - not for something which has happened and is over. You honestly would not believe the calls received. It would be good to have a non-emergency number which everyone knew which would connect them to - and here is a problem - you don't get through to your local police station- you now get through to a Control Centre - where they may or may not be able to connect you to your local station or can deal with your call and pass the details to local officers. The biggest problem of the last few years for police Control Centres has been the huge increase of calls because everyone has a mobile phone. 20 years ago if a car crashed into another outside a busy shopping centre you would expect 1 or two calls. Now you get one from everybody who was passing by. 888 would be a good number for non emergency calls- great idea !

They ran a similar scheme in the north east but it was closed down as the government funding was withdrawn!

http://www.northumbria101.gov.uk/

Have the call routed directly to the nearest police officer to your location.

i had this brainwave of writing down the number of the local nick in my address book.......

I can't remember the last time I saw a telephone - cell or landline - that did not have a built-in memory dial. Is it so hard to put the local Police Station on speed dial?

Is it really necessary to spend taxpayer money to accomplish this?

I understand that some people just feel better when the government holds their hands and directs their actions, but how much is too much?

Assign 912 to petty calls...

Lets try the following:

999 for emergencies
888 for minor emergencies
777 for pizza
666 for spiritual emergencies
555 for cigarettes
444 for golf
333 for the trinity
222 for couples
111 for singles
000 for wrong numbers.

Just a thought. Back to you.

1 Know your local numbers
2 Know when something is an emergency and when it is a paperwork case.
3 Know that some people are too dumb for their own good and take out others as attrition.
4 Know that if you are too dumb to know how to get help (children and disabled excluded) you probibly aren't worth keeping around anyways.

In America we now have 3-1-1. It is similar to 9-1-1, but is used for non-emergencies. Having something similar may help.

Well, if you ring them up and call them cun*s they are around quick enough.

The local numbers are published in all phone directories, on the internet, outside police stations and council offices. It's not difficult to find as it is.

And they would turn up???

I have the local non-emergeny numbers of all police stations in my area programmed in my cell phone. I figured that was the easiest way to take care of this problem.

Good idea you can never get through to the non emergency number in Devon, people have waited nearly an hour for the phone to be answered, but why should we be surprised at this.

By answering the 'phone promptly and actually responding to calls !

Tayside in Scotland, are setting up a dedicated non-999 number. It will cost .40p to call it on a mobile.

exagerrate the crime