Dyfed Powys Police's new single telephone number to deal with all non-emergency calls has been hailed a success by the force, attracting over 1,600 calls every day, many of which are being answered within two seconds.
The non-emergency number - 0845 330 2000 - was launched in May and has received over 45,000 calls each month ranging from missing children to road traffic incidents. The number, which replaced the 43 different police station numbers that were previously used to deal with non-emergency calls, has allowed police officers to spend more time out of station in the public eye, as well as capturing many hundreds of calls which would have previously gone unanswered.
Chief Inspector Iain Sewell said: "A key performance indicator for the force is for call abandonment rates to stay below 10 per cent despite the increase in calls, and this has been the case since the number was launched, currently standing between six and eight per cent.
"The call volume rates are increasing steadily as more people use the new number and our aim is to improve even more upon our call answering times and reduce the number of times any member of the public has to contact us more than once for any concern.
"The new force communications centre at police HQ is now handling all calls for Powys and Carmarthenshire divisions, as well as all calls from mobile phones from every location. Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire division calls will also receive the improved centralised service by the end of August.
"The new number definitely provides a more efficient service to the public. The 24-hour number makes it easier for people to contact us for general enquiries, advice and information or to report an incident or crime that has already taken place and is no longer urgent. Having calls answered centrally by trained staff has also increased the time that police officers are able to spend on the beat, which is a major part of our commitment to our public and should be generally welcomed by all."
People throughout Carmarthenshire, Powys, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion are still being urged to store the new telephone number and use it for non-emergency calls in the future; whether calls which report an incident or crime that has already taken place and is no longer urgent; calls about cases or for information that are police matters.
As people become more familiar with the new number, it will help to ease the strain on the 999 service. Only one in five calls last year was a real emergency with people dialling 999 to report non- urgent matters such as lost property and even using the service to request traffic and weather reports.
The 0845 330 2000 number will reduce the thousands of non-emergency calls made to the 999 number in Dyfed Powys each year, freeing up operators to deal with real emergencies, and allowing speedier attendance by police.