Police control room praised after £1.4m investment

A project to revamp and modernise a police contact and control room (CCR) has been praised for "enormously" improving its performance.

Tim Passmore, Suffolk's Police and Crime Commissioner, said a £1.4m investment in the scheme was "paying dividends" and he was confident better response times would "play a major role in keeping crime levels down".

In September 2023, HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services rated Suffolk Police inadequate for the way it responded to calls and also raised concerns about the time it took to answer 101 non-emergency calls.

Following the report, the force hired more call takers and installed equipment to conduct live chats and video appointments.

Suffolk Police's Assistant Chief Constable Eamonn Bridger said: "To see us move out of the 'cause for concern' shows how hard we have worked to improve the service for the public.

"This is an ongoing journey of transformation and I am grateful for the public's support as we continue to improve, as well as for the hard work of our dedicated control room staff."

The force said in the year ending September 2024, 91% of emergency calls were answered within 10 seconds, with an average wait time of 6 seconds, compared to 79% for the previous 12 months.

It said it had recruited more call handlers and opened more online channels for people to report crime for non-emergency issues.

A spokesperson for the force said digital technology would ensure people who needed the police could access help and support more promptly and effectively.

"The Domestic Abuse Video Response Team, introduced last spring, is providing victims with the option of speaking with a police officer remotely and promptly via a video link," they added.

Passmore said: "I am delighted to see the £1.4m invested from the council tax precept is paying dividends.

"More call handlers, coupled with the implementation of new technology has resulted in Suffolk's control room performance improving enormously, which is great news for us all.

"I know the public have noticed the improved service because in previous years, issues with the 101 service were raised with me everywhere I went, but in our last series of public meetings these complaints were noticeable only by their absence.

"These improvements to the constabulary's response times will play a major role in keeping crime levels down benefitting all homes and businesses across our county."

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