More than 200 call in `non-emergencies'

Jul 4 2006 By Guy Basnett, The Journal

A controversial 101 non-emergency number launched in the North to ease pressure on the 999 system has received more than 200 calls on its first day.

Critics had questioned whether the service - which costs 10p for each call - would confuse the public and put pressure on already-stretched council services.

But organisers said the vast majority of the calls taken after lines opened at 9am yesterday were the non-emergency calls that the service is designed to take.

Only one caller had to be put through to 999 after handlers felt a blue-light response was needed.

Peter Coates, 101 operations manager, said: "We've had about 200 calls, which is what we expected.

"In the main it has been the kind of calls the service was hoping to receive. We've had a couple of calls about anti-social behaviour graffiti and abandoned cars. And we've had quite a few noisy neighbours and neighbour disputes.

"We have had one call that the advisers thought deemed an emergency response, where there was a threat to someone's health and safety. It was referred to 999 and given an emergency response."

It is expected the service will soon be taking around 600 calls a day to offer advice and services.

It sees the Northumbria Police force join with all 12 councils across the area to field calls on low-level incidents including vandalism, graffiti, nuisance behaviour and fly-tipping.

Mr Coates said: "We expect it to get busier from now. We think the peak times are going to be from teatime onwards."

The launch is the first stage of a nationwide roll-out of the service, which will be introduced to London and parts of Yorkshire by next summer, and nationally by 2009.

It is being funded in the North-East by a £4.6m Government grant with 150 advisers set up in three centres, at Ponteland, Newcastle and Sunderland.

The system allows people to call 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week, about harassment, vandalism, graffiti, nuisance behaviour, noisy neighbours, drugs, and dumping.

Mr Coates added some calls were non-urgent, but needed to be put through to a police officer. He said: "We've had a smattering of calls that we would class as normal police non-emergency business, for things like burglary, and referred those off to police non-urgent numbers. But overall it's gone very well."

Police estimate that 70% of the calls they receive are non-emergencies.