Dorset Police will be sharing live real-time updates of every enquiry and issue received into the Force via 999 and 101 during a 12-hour Tweetathon.
The event will run from 4pm on Friday 14 June 2019 and will highlight the significant demand the Force faces on a daily basis and give the public an idea of the variety of calls for assistance received.
In the equivalent 12 hour period last year, the Force deals with 700 telephone calls; 241 of these through the emergency 999 line and 459 via the 101 non-emergency number. The Force also created 314 incidents and recorded 75 crimes.
Chief Superintendent Glen Mayhew, Alliance Operations Commander said: “We hope this initiative will give the public an insight into the diverse range of incidents attended by frontline officers, as well as the volume of calls that come into the Force Command Centre on an average Friday night, which is one of the busier times of the week.
“We regularly receive calls that should not be directed to the police and there are a number of issues that can be dealt with more effectively by contacting us online via our website or email for non-emergency issues.
“However, in a typical Friday night the Force also receives reports of very serious matters; including sexual assaults, fights taking place linked to the night-time economy, missing people, support requests from ambulance colleagues and concerns for the welfare of vulnerable people.”
Chief Constable James Vaughan said: “I am proud of the work our officers and staff do every day, whether handling calls for service from the public, attending incidents, investigating offences or in one of the many support roles that assist us to prevent crime and bring offenders to justice.
“The vast majority of our demand starts with a phone call to our control room and by following this initiative, I’m confident you’ll be surprised at the variety and volume of calls we receive.”
Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner Martyn Underhill said: “I’m sure this exercise will make people aware of the sheer volume of calls which the police receive – from serious incidents to matters which would be far better dealt with by other agencies. I hope it will also provide a snapshot of the excellent work done on a daily basis by both call handlers and the officers who respond to these calls.”
Members of the public can keep up to date with what’s happening on Twitter by following @DorsetPolice and keeping an eye out for the #DorsetPoliceLIVE hashtag.
