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Police introduce charges for non-emergency calls (Read 405,803 times)
Dave
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Re: Police introduce charges for non-emergency cal
Reply #330 - Jan 24th, 2011 at 9:10pm
 
http://81.187.243.53/blog/?p=2123

Calls to HQ on 0845 numbers

Quote:
From Chief Superintendent Gavin Stevens following correspondence about the 0845 number and a telephone call charge incurred by one of our members

Bob,

I’ve now got back some information on the use of the 0845 125 2222 number.  Firstly, I should say that this number was set up and promoted to be memorable and allow ease of contact, however there are some drawbacks.  Provided it is called from a land line then it is charged as a local rate call.  However, some mobile telecoms providers (not all) charge a premium rate for it (as they sometimes do for free phone numbers, which I understand is soon to be banned through European regulation).

Surrey Police do not make any money from the 0845 number, as we are here to provide a service, not make money from people in need.
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Re: Police introduce charges for non-emergency cal
Reply #331 - Jan 25th, 2011 at 4:32am
 
We appreciate that it is the telecommunication company that make the money from the calls on 0845 numbers and that it is not always on a profit share basis but it still costs money to contact any service via an 0845 number.

Connection Charge
Price charged by the minute

If 01 02 or 03 numbers are used this is not the case and in most cases calls are included in call packages.

callers can still contact your service in question by using the alternative none geographical number

Please publish the 01 or 02 none geographical number and members will be able to contact the service via this alternative number.
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Dave
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Re: Police introduce charges for non-emergency cal
Reply #332 - Jan 25th, 2011 at 9:32am
 
bazzerfewi wrote on Jan 25th, 2011 at 4:32am:
We appreciate that it is the telecommunication company that make the money from the calls on 0845 numbers and that it is not always on a profit share basis but it still costs money to contact any service via an 0845 number.

The "telecommunication company" you refer to is that of the receiver (there are often two involved in a call connection: the caller's and the receiver's). That is Surrey Police's telco is allowed to keep the revenue share, as determined by Surrey Police.

Quite bizarrely, they think that callers' telephone companies won't levy a premium retail call charge, even though they must pay the revenue share (premium) to Surrey Police's telephone company in order for calls to be connected. They even go so far as to say that it will be a "local" charge, i.e. implying that it is perhaps low with respect to geographic calls in general.
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« Last Edit: Jan 25th, 2011 at 10:47am by Dave »  
 
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NGMsGhost
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Re: Police introduce charges for non-emergency cal
Reply #333 - Jan 25th, 2011 at 11:43am
 
You remind me of the need to put in a formal question on this to Surrey Police Authority at one of their future public meetings (see www.surreypa.gov.uk/ourpubmeet.asp) and to also brief local journalists in advance that a question will be asked on this matter.  This is the only way in which this issue will become a priority for Surrey Police and funding will be found to address it.

The repeated obstinate intransigence of Surrey Police's senior management on this matter is extremely disappointing (they cannot be unaware of it since I asked the Chief Constable a public question on the matter at the annual meeting of Surrey Police Authority around 6 years ago when I was still a district councillor which received press coverage at the time) given the switch of Surrey County Council's contact centre to 03 numbers and that their Contact Centre Manager responsible for their 03 number implementation project (Simon Pollock or SimonFromSurrey on this forum) told he would be trying to make clear to Surrey Police the current error of their ways.

Not only are these 0845 numbers not part of nearly all mobile phone providers bundled minutes but they also cost 10 times as much per minute to call from a BT Payphone.

This is something Surrey Police need reminding of when they prattle on about how 0845 numbers are cheaper in the weekday daytime to call than 01/02/03 numbers and/or go about how they are part of the inclusive minutes of BT's inclusive calling plans.

Most disappointing is that Surrey Police do actually have a geographic alternative number in the shape of their main switchboard at their Mount Browne HQ but they refuse to publish it anywhere on their website or in their official literature. Shocked Angry Smiley

Here is the schedule for Surrey Police Authority's Public Meetings in 2011.

The one scheduled for Mole Valley on 28th March 2011 looks especially appropriate given my own location and my former connections with this local authority.

Quote:
Surrey Police Authority Meetings 2011

07 February 2011      10am, Council Chambers, Waverley Borough Council
28 March 2011      10am, Council Chambers, Mole Valley District Council
19 May 2011      10am, Large Conference room at Surrey Police HQ Mount Browne
30 June 2011      10am, Large Conference room at Surrey Police HQ Mount Browne
08 September 2011      10am, Council Chambers, Elmbridge Borough Council
03 November 2011      10am, Large Conference room at Surrey Police HQ Mount Browne
15 December 2011      10am, Large Conference room at Surrey Police HQ Mount Browne


If anyone else lives in or near Surrey and could go to one of the other meetings and ask a question on this issue I am sure that it would help Surrey Police Authority to get the message they must switch to an 03 number.
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« Last Edit: Jan 25th, 2011 at 11:58am by NGMsGhost »  

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Re: Police introduce charges for non-emergency cal
Reply #334 - Jan 25th, 2011 at 12:15pm
 
NGMsGhost wrote on Jan 25th, 2011 at 11:43am:
Most disappointing is that Surrey Police do actually have a geographic alternative number in the shape of their main switchboard at their Mount Browne HQ but they refuse to publish it anywhere on their website or in their official literature.

The alternative - 01483 571212 - is actually tucked away on the Contact Us page. It needs far greater prominence and the Chief Superintendent needs to be better briefed regarding the truth of current and future matters.

(Would somebody like to have a go at explaining the difference between a Police force saving cost through subsidy and "profiting". Unless it were to launch a commercial enterprise the term "profit" makes no sense in the context of the finances of Surrey Police, or any other public body.)

Clearly the sterling efforts of campaigners over many years have however achieved something - although there is indeed more to do.
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Surrey Police Still Ignoring Public On 0845 Number
Reply #335 - Jan 25th, 2011 at 12:40pm
 
SilentCallsVictim wrote on Jan 25th, 2011 at 12:15pm:
Clearly the sterling efforts of campaigners over many years have however achieved something - although there is indeed more to do.


I note that a local district councillor asked the Chief Constable of Surrey Police a question about their justification for using an 0845 number for their contact centre instead of a geographic number as long ago as the June 2005 AGM of Surrey Police authority at Epsom Downs racecourse.

See www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/s/52717_calls_to_police_no_longer_local_rate

So in the circumstances it is rather hard to believe that any progress at all has actually been made in improving the understanding of this Police force and this Police Authority about how the public continue to be let down by Surrey Police over this particular issue.
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« Last Edit: Jan 25th, 2011 at 12:42pm by NGMsGhost »  

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SilentCallsVictim
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Re: Surrey Police Still Ignoring Public On 0845 Nu
Reply #336 - Jan 25th, 2011 at 2:27pm
 
NGMsGhost wrote on Jan 25th, 2011 at 12:40pm:
... So in the circumstances it is rather hard to believe that any progress at all has actually been made in improving the understanding of this Police force and this Police Authority about how the public continue to be let down by Surrey Police over this particular issue.

In case there is any doubt, I agree. All that has been achieved is a geographic alternative number being quietly published on the Surrey Police website. Some would see that as modest progress in the general context, as others would see a refusal to publish such a number as worthy of mention in criticism.
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Re: Surrey Police Still Ignoring Public On 0845 Nu
Reply #337 - Jan 25th, 2011 at 2:47pm
 
SilentCallsVictim wrote on Jan 25th, 2011 at 2:27pm:
In case there is any doubt, I agree. All that has been achieved is a geographic alternative number being quietly published on the Surrey Police website. Some would see that as modest progress in the general context, as others would see a refusal to publish such a number as worthy of mention in criticism.


When I submitted an FOI to this Police Force a year or more ago (in fact I see it was in Autumn 2009) asking for details of the name of their contracted telecoms supplier for the 0845 number and the amount of revenue they had earned from the 0845 number over several years and for copies of internal briefing papers and minutes involved in moving to the 0845 number when they opened their shiny new contact centre in about 2004 they refused to answer any of it by claiming this would cause them to need to examine all their custody records over several years and that this was prohibitively expensive.

When I got in touch with the FOI manager he told me this answer was a mistake and I would now get the information shortly but I never did.  Rather than chase him up it seems much easier to go to Surrey Police Authority's meeting and to ask the Chief Constable in a public forum why it is so hard to get them to respond to an FOI on these matters related to the 0845 number and why they continue to ignore the public interest (unlike other Police forces that have adopted an 0845 number) by continuing to use an 0845 number and why we are no further forward at all on these matters nearly six years on from my original question at the Surrey Police Authority meeting in June 2005.
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« Last Edit: Jan 25th, 2011 at 2:53pm by NGMsGhost »  

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Re: Police introduce charges for non-emergency cal
Reply #338 - Feb 1st, 2011 at 8:29am
 
New online crime maps for England and Wales have been launched, allowing users to see which offences have been reported in their local streets.   See   http://www.police.uk/

This development is reported by the BBC here  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12330078

This very good idea is seriously jeopardised by some police forces continuing to use the off-putting 0845 numbers for non-emergency contact with them.   One of the delinquent Police Forces in this respect is Thames Valley Police.

This new website does have a feedback button and I have used it to let them know how ill-judged their decision is.

I recommend that others do likewise.

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« Last Edit: Feb 1st, 2011 at 5:08pm by loddon »  
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Re: Police introduce charges for non-emergency cal
Reply #339 - Feb 1st, 2011 at 12:04pm
 
loddon wrote on Feb 1st, 2011 at 8:29am:
New online crime maps for England and Wales have been launched, allowing users to see which offences have been reported in their local streets.   See   http://www.police.uk/

This development is reported by the BBC here  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12330078

This very good idea is seriously jeopardised by some police forces continuing to use the off-putting 0845 numbers for non-emergency contact with them.   One of the delinquent Police Forces in this respect is Thames Valley Police.

This new website does have a feedback button and I have used it to let them know ill-judged their decision is.

I recommend that others do likewise.




This site is proving to be so popular it has crashed Roll Eyes

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1352354/Crime-map-Britain-Road-road-thug...

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