Force hails improved call handling performance after investment boost

Following the 2023 inspection by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS), which found the force to be ‘inadequate’ in responding to the public, Suffolk Constabulary has announced improvements to its call handling performance which come as a result of recent investments in its Contact and Control Room (CCR).

The inspectorate said the constabulary needed to improve its response to the public, particularly the time it takes to answer emergency and non-emergency calls.

Figures for 2024 to date show that almost 91% of 999 calls were answered within the national performance target of 10 seconds. The number of 999 calls received by the CCR has increased by almost 30% over the past three years.

To meet the demand of these increases and enhance its performance in responding to the public, the constabulary has been undertaking a long-term transformation within its control room.

“Last year’s extra council tax enabled £1.4m to be invested in the CCR transformation. There are now more than 140 call handlers, a net increase of 27 operators supported by four additional police officers. Coupled with the implementation of new technology, Suffolk’s control room performance has improved enormously – which is great news for us all.

“This transformation programme is continuing with the delivery of our new digital communication desk and the rapid video response system to help victims of domestic abuse and violence.”

Tim Passmore, Suffolk Constabulary’s Police and Crime Commissioner.

As more and more people engage online, the constabulary have invested in the use of modern and innovative technology to improve communication with the public and provide them with alternative means to contact police.

This includes increasing social media engagement, promoting Live Chat as a means to communicate in real-time and the introduction of the force Single Online Home website which has made online crime reporting easier.

These online services have also had a positive impact to the 101 abandonment rates by offering the public an alternative means to report crime and obtain information. Comparing figures in December 2023 to those in July 2023, abandonment rates dropped by almost 22%.

“We know that there are still improvements to make in our performance in how we respond to the public and we work closely with His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Service (HMICFRS) which evaluates our progress.

“We remain committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our communities. The addition of our new call takers and continued improvements to our call quality and digital communications will allow us to build, and maintain, the public’s trust and confidence in our force.”

Assistant Chief Constable, Eamonn Bridger.

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