Police and Crime Commissioner Lisa Townsend has launched a public survey asking for residents’ views on how Surrey Police respond to non-emergency calls on the 101 non-emergency number.
League tables published by the Home Office show that Surrey Police is one of the best forces at quickly answering 999 calls. But recent staff shortages in the police Contact Centre have meant that calls to 999 have been prioritised, and some people have experienced long waits for calls to 101 to be answered.
It comes as Surrey Police consider measures to improve the service the public receive, such as extra staffing, changes to processes or technology or reviewing the different ways that people can get in touch.
Residents are invited to have their say at https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/PLDAAJ/
Commissioner Lisa Townsend said: “I know from speaking to residents that being able to get hold of Surrey Police when you need them is really important to you. Representing your voice in policing is a key part of my role as your Commissioner, and improving the service that you receive when contacting Surrey Police is an area that I’ve been paying close attention to in my conversations with the Chief Constable.
“That’s why I am really keen to hear about your experiences of the 101 number, whether you have called it recently or not.
“Your views are needed to inform the decisions that Surrey Police take to improve the service you receive, and it is vital that I understand that ways that you would like me to carry out this role in setting the police budget and scrutinising Force performance.”
The survey will run for four weeks until the end of Monday, 14 November. Results of the survey will be shared on the Commissioner’s website and will inform improvements to 101 service from Surrey Police.