Contact and Control Room continues to evolve, innovate and improve

A long-term project to improve and transform Suffolk Constabulary’s Contact and Control Room (CCR) is seeing significant improvements to help tackle demand.

In the year ending 30 September 2024, 91% of emergency calls were answered within 10 seconds, with an average wait time of 6 seconds.

By comparison, in the previous 12 months the figure was 79%.

Meanwhile, also year ending September 2024, just 16% of 101 calls were abandoned as more members of the public opt for online services to contact police, with an average wait time of less than three minutes. This is down from 43% from the corresponding 12-month period.

Over the past 18 months Suffolk Constabulary has recruited additional call-takers, who are dual-trained to work in the dispatch teams that deploy officers to incidents, opened more online channels for people to report crime for non-emergency issues, and implemented the phasing in of the Right Care, Right Person approach.  

It has also progressed other initiatives to alleviate the pressures call takers face, whilst embracing digital technology to ensure members of the public who need the police can promptly, and effectively, access help and support.

A new service that uses digital technology to support victims of domestic abuse was introduced last spring. The Domestic Abuse Video Response Team (DAVR) provides victims with the option of speaking with a police officer remotely, and promptly, via a video link to obtain details of the incident and initial evidence.

This is now being further supported as the force has launched a three-month trial using Enhanced Video Response (EVR), with the aim of expanding video appointment capability outside that which is already offered.

Elsewhere, a Digi Desk or Digital Public Contact Engagement Desk to give its formal title, was brought into the Contact & Control Room in March 2024 to make sure non-emergency online communications are handled better, faster and at a time to suit the public.

The Digi Desk is staffed every day between 7am and 10pm to help members of the public who find it easier to get in touch outside more traditional working hours. The team is also responding in real time to Live Chat enquiries, available every day between 8am and 9:30pm, social media, emails and online reporting.

In September 2023, the constabulary was inspected by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) with a PEEL ((Police Effectiveness, Efficiency and Legitimacy) inspection and consequently received a ‘cause for concern’ in the report for responding to the public, accompanying a grading of inadequate.

At the time of the inspection, the transformation programme within the CCR was underway, but was yet to take full effect.

Shortly after the publication of the report, performance within the CCR demonstrated significant improvements which has been sustained over time. A reinspection of the CCR by HMICFRS inspectors has since been conducted, which has now led to the closure of the cause for concern status.

Assistant Chief Constable Eamonn Bridger said: “We have made huge strides in the CCR to modernise the service and make it more responsive to the needs of the public, and in particular, to victims, witnesses and everyone who needs our support or help.

“The changes we have introduced in the CCR across a variety of platforms using digital technology demonstrate how we are continuing to evolve, innovate and improve to reflect the changes in society and how the public wish us to communicate and engage with them.

“To see us move out of the ‘cause for concern’ shows how hard we have worked to improve the service for the public.

“This is an ongoing journey of transformation and I am grateful for the public’s support as we continue to improve, as well as for the hard work of our dedicated control room staff. It’s also important our communities recognise we will strive to do the best we can to continue to provide a police service they can be proud of.”

Tim Passmore, Suffolk’s Police and Crime Commissioner, added: “I am delighted to see the £1.4 million invested in the CCR transformation project, from the council tax precept, is paying dividends.   More call handlers, coupled with the implementation of new technology has resulted in Suffolk’s control room performance improving enormously – which is great news for us all.

“I know the public have noticed the improved service because in previous years, issues with the 101 service were raised with me everywhere I went, in our last series of public meetings these complaints were noticeable only by their absence. Better communication is a key theme in my new Police and Crime Plan and something I will monitor regularly.

“These improvements to the Constabulary’s response times will play a major role in keeping crime levels down benefitting all homes and businesses across our county.”