Concerns Some Essex Crimes Not Reported

18 September 2014, 08:19

Essex's Police and Crime Commissioner has told Heart he is concerned problems with the non-emergency 101 number in the county is putting people off reporting crimes.

Nick Alston said members of the public highlight their dissatisfaction with their experience of the service during the public meetings he holds.

He said: "Sometimes it's not answered, sometimes it takes a long time to get answered and sometimes when you get through, people wanting to report something that needs to reporting but isn't that serious, the process takes a long time to go through and is frankly quite painful."

The 101 number came into affect last year and is meant to be an easier way of reporting crimes that are not emergencies and so do not need to be reported through 999.

Mr Alston says Essex Police are making changes though: "They're looking at the demand issues, the training issues, issues for example like could they strip out some of the 999 from 101 and handle them quite separately.

"If there are calls that need to pass on information, could that process for passing on information be made a little be simpler."