Dorset Police to give real-time updates on 999 and 101 calls during 12-hour Tweetathon
It's to show us the varies demands which are placed on the force
Last updated 5th Aug 2022
Dorset Police will be sharing live real-time updates of emergency and non-emergency calls for service received by the Force during a 12-hour Tweetathon.
The event will run from 3pm on Friday 5 August until 3am on Saturday 6 August, and is aimed at highlighting the significant and varied demand the Force faces on a daily basis – particularly during the busy summer period.
Members of the public can keep up to date with the Tweetathon by following @DorsetPolice on Twitter and keeping an eye out for the #ControlRoomLIVE hashtag.
Assistant Chief Constable Steve Lyne, of Dorset Police, said: “During the summer months, emergency 999 calls increase by 23 per cent, calls to 101 increase by 12 per cent and we’re recording 17 per cent more incidents in a typical day. Meanwhile officers on the front line are responding to 20 per cent more incidents classed as ‘grade 1’ – our highest priority, coming to the urgent assistance of residents and visitors to the county.
“We want to give members of the public a real insight into the work our hard working officers and staff manage in a typical day so expect to see several hundred tweets sharing the demand coming into us over the 12 hours.
“It has been an exceptionally busy time for Dorset Police – July was our busiest month on record for 999 calls with our contact officers processing 13,449 emergency calls for assistance – up by 1,000 calls on our previous record.
“I remain very proud of our officers, staff and volunteers for the dedication and professionalism they show every day – whether it be handling calls for service, attending incidents, investigating offences or working in a support role. They are all helping us to keep people safe, prevent crime and bring offenders to justice.
“I hope that our Tweetathon gives an insight to the volume and variety of calls we receive and encourage you to make the right choices when contacting us or one of our partner agencies.”
Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner, David Sidwick, said: “The Tweetathon is not only a good way of sharing information about contacting the police, it also shows a side to the work of Dorset Police that many people don’t get to see – the work that goes on behind the scenes 24/7 to keep us all safe. Shining a light on police demand is essential if we are to understand and be able to react to the needs of our residents and communities.
“I would like to thank all the staff and officers involved – whether they are the contact officers, taking calls at 2am when the rest of us are sleeping, or the police officers, PCSO’s and special constables out on the beat or police staff working hard to keep the social media messaging up to date – your work is very much valued and appreciated.”