Source: North West Evening Mail
http://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/police_defend_profit_from_calls_made_to_stations_1...Police defend profit from calls made to stationsLast updated 11:52, Saturday, 04 April 2009
CUMBRIA’S police pocketed more than £1,000 from phone lines that charge 40p a minute to call local police stations.
A total of 27 forces of the 52 in the UK use the 0845 number, raking in more than £33,000 a year.
The county’s top cop says the number had significantly reduced the amount of calls to 999 to report minor incidents, leaving it freed up for emergencies.
When 0845 numbers were introduced in 2003 they cost the same as a local call, but there has been a series of increases since then.
West Midlands Police received 1.75m calls on the 0845 line in 2008, generating more than £23,000.
Wiltshire Police made £4,800 last year from 400,000 calls and at the bottom end of the scale Cheshire Police pocketed £1,616 from more than 250,000 calls.
Cumbria received 402,537 calls amassing in £1,053.
The profits are divided between the forces and the phone companies including BT and Opal Telecoms.
The lines also slashed police costs, as people are put through to a central call centre requiring fewer workers.
Cumbria Constabulary say the cash is put towards improving services.
Fierce criticism has meant some forces, such as the Metropolitan Police, have switched to 03 number which cost the same as a local call.
Cumbria’s Chief Constable Craig Mackey defended the use of the number.
He said: “The launch of the 0845 number in 2005 has made it easier for the public to contact us for information and to report minor incidents.
“Since then it has significantly reduced the volume of calls we receive via the 999 number, enabling the specially trained 999 call operators to deal only with emergency calls. At the time it was introduced, dialling the 0845 number cost the same as making a local call.
“Costs of calls from landlines to the Constabulary using this number vary, depending on the time of day.
“But on average will cost less than 4p per minute – which is the same if not less than that of a standard call.
“The cost of a call from a mobile phone may be higher than this figure depending on the network you are calling from.
“The profit made from the number is relatively small in comparison to other UK forces.
“Between March 2007 and February 2008, a profit of £676.78 was made from a total of 155,698 calls received.
“This goes towards enhancing the service provided to the public.”
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