Police 101

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'101' is a single non-emergency English and Welsh telephone helpline that automatically connects the caller to their local police force, or any other police force in the UK, by dialling the three digit number one-zero-one in England, Wales and Scotland, in a similar system to the 999 emergency number.[1][2]

Uses

Promotional identity of the scheme

The 101 service is for reporting minor and non-emergency crimes where immediate or high-priority response is not required, such as:

  • To report theft of a vehicle
  • To report damage to property
  • To report suspected drug use or dealing
  • To report minor traffic accidents
  • To give the police information about crime
  • To speak to the police about a general enquiry

When the number is dialled the caller is offered to be put through to their local force worked out by where they are calling from. The caller may press 1 if they wish to be put through to an alternative force.[3]

The 112 or 999 should be called when:

  • A crime is in progress
  • Someone suspected of a crime is nearby
  • There is danger to life
  • Violence is being used or threatened

A 101 call may be transferred to the 112/999 facilities if it is deemed to be an emergency.

All police forces still maintain a dedicated individual phone number for access to callers from outside England and Wales.[4]

History

Previously the 43 police forces in England and Wales all had individual phone lines, the system made all police forces non-emergency number 101.

The concept was piloted in Hampshire and Isle of Wight in 2006 for £3.3 million, and then extended to Northumbria, Cardiff, South Yorkshire, Leicestershire and Rutland.[5][6][7]

Afterwards it was rolled out across all English and Welsh police forces between 2011 and 2012, and all police forces in England and Wales operate the system.[8] 101 was introduced in Scotland on 1st April 2013, coinciding with the launch of Police Scotland, the single Scottish police authority.

Cost of calls

The service costs 15p per call from landlines and mobiles.[1] Cable & Wireless Worldwide has been chosen as the single supplier for the 101 service.[9]

Future

Similar projects such as the Missing People 116000 number; the NSPCC 116111 number; and The Samaritans 116123 number[10] are all part of the European Unions Harmonised service of social value commission, who assign simple telephone numbers to freephone helplines of organisations who help citizens in need. A non-emergency number for police has not been established yet, but it could may be in the future.

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "101 - The police non-emergency number". Police.uk. Retrieved 2012-10-11. 
  2. ↑ BBC News Online (2006-03-08). "Summer launch for 101 crime line". Retrieved 2008-01-12. 
  3. ↑ "101 - Police non-emergency number". Home Office. Retrieved 2012-10-11. 
  4. ↑
  5. ↑ http://www4.havant.gov.uk/orion1/reports/exec/20080212009.pdf
  6. ↑ "Single Non-Emergency Number Project (SNEN)" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-10-11. 
  7. ↑ BBC News Online (2006-05-14). "Non-emergency phone line launched". Retrieved 2008-01-12. 
  8. ↑ "Police Roll Out 101 Number For Non-Emergency Calls". Huffingtonpost.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-10-11. 
  9. ↑ 999 to get non-emergency back-up
  10. ↑ "Ofcom | Ofcom makes two new 116 helpline numbers available". Consumers.ofcom.org.uk. 2010-10-01. Retrieved 2012-10-11. 

External links

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