People in Cornwall and Devon asked to share views on 999 and 101 services
A survey has been launched to help inform police about the challenges of reporting crimes
Residents of Devon and Cornwall are being asked to take a few minutes to tell police chiefs about their experiences of the 101 and 999 services, as well as preferences for future modes of contact.
Participants are being asked a series of questions testing their understanding of emergency and non emergency reporting systems, as well as newly emerging ways of contacting the police, like web chat, online forms and messaging over social media.
The survey, run by the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC), will help inform police forces, the Home Office and local commissioners on any challenges around reporting to the police and assist in forming plans for the future.
Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez is spearheading the survey as joint national lead for local policing within the APCC.
She said reporting to 101 and 999 remains a "challenging area of business" for police forces.
Alison Hernandez said: "The needs of those making contact must be understood and forces must prioritise those most in need, meaning contact about routine items is sometimes not responded to as quickly as people would like.
"In addition, new technology deployed by some forces presents significant opportunities to speed up responses and open lines of communication with people who might not be comfortable using traditional methods.
"As the voice of the public in policing, Police and Crime Commissioners are very keen to better understand their constituentsâ views on these issues and will be urging as many people as possible to respond to the survey".
The Police Contact Survey runs until midnight on Sunday 26th June and can be completed at the Smart Survey link.