Police ask: ‘Is Campbeltown in Glasgow or Edinburgh?’

A 999 Police Scotland call handler’s lack of geographical knowledge surprised a Campbeltonian who did not want to be identified. During an emergency call last Thursday, the call handler asked: ‘Is Campbeltown in Glasgow or Edinburgh?’ The Campbeltonian, already in a state of shock, said: ‘No, it is on the Mull of Kintyre.’ The call handler replied: ‘Is it a town on the Mull of Kintyre.’ At first when the Courier asked Police Scotland about the call the response was: ‘As discussed, C3 has checked the timeline of calls logged within that time frame and we have also checked local recording within the division but no record of such an incident at that time/date can be found. ‘If you are able to provide a name or contact phone number we should be able to trace the call.’ The Courier had already provided details including the incident, the time, to an hour, when the call was made and a car registration number. Following the Police Scotland response, the Courier asked three more questions in writing: ‘Were there any 999 calls from Campbeltown on Thursday June 21 2018? ‘Are all 999 calls logged?’ and ‘What are the instructions for call handlers who take 999 calls?’ A Police Scotland spokesperson finally admitted a call had been logged and said: ‘We can confirm we received a call in relation to a road traffic collision which had not resulted in any injuries. ‘The signal and sound quality was poor and as a result, clarity was sought in relation to details of the incident. ‘It was ascertained that there was no requirement for police attendance.’