Now time to get on to all the other police forces that have 0845 numbers and get them to change by using Essex as the example! (That said, South Yorkshire Police seem to manage perfectly well on an 0114 number  ).

Source: Bishop's Stortford Citizen

http://www.citizen-series.co.uk/display.var.2090843.0.harlow_new_number_to_conta...

10:00am Tuesday 4th March 2008

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HARLOW: New number to contact police
By David Jackman

A NEW non-emergency number for Essex Police will goes live on Thursday (March 6).

The new number - 0300 333 4444 - is a 24-hour, seven days a week service that will connect callers from across the county to the switchboard at Essex Police. Calls will then be directed to the most appropriate person, department or station.

The non-emergency number should be used for all enquiries to Essex Police but does not replace the emergency number 999. If there is a crime or serious incident in progress, a serious risk of injury or a risk of serious damage to property you should always dial 999.

Deputy Chief Constable Andy Bliss said: "The non-emergency number will improve telephone access to the police ensuring that all calls are dealt with quickly and effectively.

"By having a memorable, low cost, non-emergency telephone number for the whole county it will be easier to contact Essex Police even when you are away from home. You can still contact your local neighbourhood police officer on their mobile telephone number, which can be found on our website www.essex.police.uk or by texting your postcode to 07624 800 100."

Essex Police Authority chairman Robert Chambers said: "Having a non-emergency number provides convenient access to Essex Police 24 hours a day, a service members of the public have asked for.

"I urge everyone across the county to remember the new non-emergency phone number, keep one of the handy business card reminders or save it to their mobile phone."

Callers to the non-emergency number will be charged the same or less than calls to 01 (eg 01245) and 02 (eg 020 8508) prefixed numbers and will be included as part of any inclusive minutes or discount package.

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Source: Essex Police

http://www.essex.police.uk/news/n_cont.php?articleId=3586

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New non-emergency number for Essex Police
By Morwenna Holland

A new non-emergency number for Essex Police will go live tomorrow, Thursday, March 6, 2008.

The new number is 0300 333 4444. It is a 24 hour, seven days a week service that will connect callers from across the county to the switchboard at Essex Police. Calls will then be directed to the most appropriate person, department or station.

The non-emergency number should be used for all enquiries to Essex Police but does not replace the emergency number 999. If there is a crime or serious incident in progress, a serious risk of injury or a risk of serious damage to property you should always dial 999.

Deputy Chief Constable Andy Bliss, who will join children at the Fairhouse Community Infant School in Basildon to officially launch the telephone number commented: “The non-emergency number will improve telephone access to the police ensuring that all calls are dealt with quickly and effectively.

“By having a memorable, low cost, non-emergency telephone number for the whole county it will be easier to contact Essex Police even when you are away from home. You can still contact your local neighbourhood police officer on their mobile telephone number, which can be found on our website www.essex.police.uk or by texting your postcode to 07624 800 101.”

Mr Robert Chambers, chairman of the Essex Police Authority, said: “Having a non-emergency number provides convenient access to Essex Police 24 hours a day, a service members of the public have asked for. I urge everyone across the county to remember the new non-emergency phone number, keep one of the handy business card reminders or save it to their mobile phone.”

Callers to the non-emergency number will be charged the same or less than calls to 01 (eg 01245) and 02 (eg 0208) prefixed numbers and will be included as part of any inclusive minutes or discount package.

March 5, 2008

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Source: Express & Star

http://www.expressandstar.com/2008/03/10/police-phone-line-rakes-in-24k/

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Police phone line rakes in £24k

The West Midlands Police force collects £24,000-a-year through its non-emergency phone line, it was revealed today.

Now critics are demanding the force switches to a service that is cheaper for the public.

The force pockets cash for calls made by the public to its 0845 113 5000 official non-emergency number, which earns it an average £2,000-a-month. It is especially expensive making a call to the number from a mobile.

A recent circular by the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) sent to forces throughout the country warned of “increasing public concerns over the use by the service of 0845 prefixed telephone numbers for non-emergency police contact”. It pointed out those numbers no longer charge all calls at local rates and are now often more expensive than the traditional 01 and 02 numbers they replaced.

Campaigner Dave Lindsay, a 28-year-old security officer and computer expert, said: “It seems wrong that the police should be making money in this way.

“They have a captive audience because the only other number that can be used is 999, which is for emergencies.”

The problem can be solved by replacing the 8 in the current phone number with a 3, putting it on a different tariff that would not allow the police to share revenue from the service. Essex police have just made the move and other forces could follow, although they would have to find money to pay for changes like reprinting stationery and altering the livery of vehicles advertising the present number.

The Acpo has warned that those who do not switch should drop any claim that their 0845 number is charged at local rate, and investigate the possibility of reintroducing the old geographically coded number that began 01.

The non-emergency line used by the public to contact West Midlands Police takes more than two million calls a year. Not all of these qualify as part of the deal that currently generates money for the force. The force said: “We are investigating various options although it should be noted that the 03 numbers are not yet widely available. The whole costs and benefits of the alternative arrangements will then be considered.”

New figures also reveal the force spent £1m between April 2006 and March last year on private consultants such as management experts, financial strategists, market researchers and PR.

Bosses defended the cash payouts to private companies, saying consultancy fees included work around specialist areas which the force cannot provide. But Fiona McEvoy, spokewoman for the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said more cash should be spent on actual policing. “Ordinary hard-working people pay taxes in good faith for front line police services and safer communities,” she said.

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Source: York Press

http://www.thisisyork.co.uk/display.var.2116616.0.is_forces_number_up.php

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Is force’s number up?
By Helen Gabriel

NORTH Yorkshire Police could be set to change its non-emergency telephone number - because campaigners claim it is costing the public too much money.

The police force says it is making no money from telephone calls to its 0845 60 60 247 number.

But campaigners say it is still costing money for members of the public who do not have BT landlines, and particularly those who call from mobile phones.

A Freedom of Information request shows the force is actually paying out almost £10,000 a year for incoming calls from people living outside the area. The police foot the bill for the difference between the local and national rate.

A recent circular from the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) sent to forces throughout the country warned of "increasing public concerns over the use by the service of 0845 prefixed telephone numbers for non-emergency police contact".

It pointed out those numbers no longer charge all calls at local rates, and are now often more expensive than the traditional 01 and 02 numbers they replaced.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said: "When our non-emergency telephone number was originally introduced, the cost of a call was based on local rates from a BT landline.

"However, following research by the Association of Chief Police Officers we understand that some additional costs have been incurred by the public when phoning from other service providers.

"This is out of the control of North Yorkshire Police and applies to all forces using a similar number.

"Consideration is currently being given to changing the number in an effort to minimise the additional costs.

"However, the process is at the very early stages and must take into account the cost, benefit and practical implications of any change.

"We are committed to providing the best possible service to the people of North Yorkshire and are constantly reviewing our services to ensure we provide value for money."

The non-emergency line used by the public to contact North Yorkshire Police takes more than 600,000 calls a year.

Campaigner Dave Lindsay, a 28-year-old security officer and computer expert, said: "Calls to the 0845 60 60 247 number can be significantly more expensive than geographical calls, especially from mobile phones.

"This disadvantages the least well-off in society who may not have their own landline.

"In addition, the force is charged almost £10,000 per annum for the number and calls to it. Other forces receive revenue payments from their 0845 number, and the cost to the caller is the same regardless. It seems like North Yorkshire Police have a poor deal."

The problem can be solved by replacing the 8 in the current phone number with a 3, putting it on a different tariff that would not allow the police to share revenue from the service.

Acpo has warned that those who do not switch should drop any claim that their 0845 number is charged at local rate.

Some landline providers charge up to with six pence per minute at all times for calls to 0845 numbers, plus a seven pence connection charge.

11:25am today

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Heinz wrote on Mar 13^th, 2008 at 3:24pm:

Indeed. Evidence exists which suggests that Durham Constabulary went out and "rented" a "Lo-call" number with incoming call charges. The force switched in February 2005 and lied about it being "local rate". Whilst I in no way condone the numbers, why did these people not put it out to tender? Had they done so they could have saved each force approximately £10k per amum and maybe even made revenue. Does this not break rules on tendering??

Also, would it not have helped if these police forces had looked at the "evidence" - namely tariffs by telephone operators?

Source: Scarborough Evening News

http://www.scarborougheveningnews.co.uk/news/Police-think-of-changing-their.3881...

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Police think of changing their number

By Ian Duncan

FUTURE non-emergency calls to Scar- borough Police could be made using a new number if it proves to be better value for money.
The possible change comes after it has been revealed that some callers are being charged more than local rates and it is costing North Yorkshire Police £10,000 a year to use it.

North Yorkshire Police’s current non-emergency number, 0845 6060247, was launched in 2004 so that people would not use the emergency 999 number unnecessarily.

At the time the force said all calls to the number would be charged at a local rate but senior officers have admitted some callers are charged more, especially if they are using a mobile phone.

And figures also show that the force is charged almost £10,000 a year to use the 0845 number.

A North Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said: “When our non-emergency telephone number was originally introduced, the cost of a call was based on local rates from a BT landline.

“However, following research by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) we understand that some additional costs have been incurred by the public when phoning from other service providers.

“This is out of the control of North Yorkshire Police and applies to all forces using a similar number.”

She added that North Yorkshire Police was considering using a different number to help minimise the additional costs. But she said: “The process is at the very early stages and must take into account the cost, benefit and practical implications of any change.

“We are committed to providing the best possible service to the people of North Yorkshire.”

The findings were revealed after a concerned member of the public submitted a freedom of information request to the force.

Although it is early days for the proposed change it is thought the new number would begin with 0345.

Last Updated: 14 March 2008 12:04 PM
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Rubbish! It was introduced in September 2004, just after BT had scrapped BT Standard. Had North Yorkshire Police actually bothered to look at the evidence, then it would have found that this was not the case. The "evidence" comes in the form of telephone tariffs from a range of telephony providers.

Instead, it apparently lives in world where BT is the only provider and that is probably the reason it spends £10,000 a year of tax payers' money on the 0845 number when there are providers which would charge nothing or even pay it for having one of their 0845 numbers.

Dave wrote on Mar 22^nd, 2008 at 1:20am:


And it's so turgidly composed and edited that almost a complete sentence is duplicated.

It may well be that the average call length is 2 minutes, but that will be because some people give up while still in the call queueing system and have to call again later, spending perhaps £2.50 for 10 minutes.