Police Scotland to overhaul call handing system

A major overhaul of how Police Scotland handles emergency calls is to be phased in from this summer.

Staff will be trained to make individual assessments of threat, risk, vulnerability and harm - following a review of call handling across the force.

The information will help determine the response.

The pilot will start in Lanarkshire and Dumfries and Galloway before being rolled out across the rest of the county.

As well as what has been described as the changing nature of policing'', the changes come after recommendations made by various public bodies in 2015 following the deaths of John Yuill and Lamara Bell.

The pair died after lying in a crashed car at the side of the M9 three days after the incident was first reported to police.

Assistant Chief Constable John Hawkins said: “Every caller is different and our response should be too. The new approach will ensure we can provide better service to the public by taking more information from the caller so that we can make a more robust assessment of risk, threat and harm and vulnerability.

“The new model will also increase our ability to despatch police officers to urgent incidents, which means we can get to the people who need us most, when they need us most.

“Our current response to calls to the 101 and 999 service is based on pre-determined policies, procedures and system grading. Effectively it is a ‘computer says go’ approach to how we respond to calls. However, this does not mean it is the right response for every individual, and in some cases we have to send officers when the caller does not want us to do this.

“Rather than having a 'one size fits all’ approach to certain types of calls, under the new approach, service advisers will take into account the needs and circumstances of everyone who contacts us.

“This means that we might deal with the same type of call differently depending on the needs of the caller, after assessing their vulnerability and the risk posed to them.

"For example, we might send officers if an elderly person calls to report that their garden shed has been broken into, but someone who is in a less vulnerable situation may actually request that we set up an appointment at their convenience or that an officer calls them back.

“When you contact Police Scotland, the first thing we will do is make sure you are safe. Our focus is, and always will be, to protect the public and the most vulnerable in our communities. That won’t change.”

This new approach will be introduced in phases, starting with Lanarkshire, and Dumfries and Galloway in summer 2019, prior to a proposed roll out across Scotland.

Scottish Police Authority Board member Mary Pitcaithly said: “A key part of the Authority's responsibility is to ensure that there is the right investment and support for change in the way policing responds to the public when they need support and assistance.

“With demands on the service changing rapidly, especially in addressing vulnerability, it is vital that policing adapts its approaches and forges new partnerships to improve the outcomes for people in need.

“Of course, major changes also need to be well prepared for, well-managed, and well communicated and the approach being put in place for this initiative is designed to ensure we build on experience and strengthen both implementation and oversight.''