Replacement police call system is delayed

A COMPLEX new computer system meant to speed up the way a Yorkshire police force deals with calls from the public, which was due to go live in the next few weeks, has been delayed because of technical difficulties.

South Yorkshire Police has been working on the new Smart Connect system for two years to replace its outdated software, which has been partly blamed for long delays suffered by callers using the non-emergency 101 service.

It was scheduled for introduction during March or April, but police commissioner Dr Alan Billings has now confirmed that date will be missed, meaning the old system will have to limp on until the issues with the new equipment have been resolved.

No new target date has yet been set, to avoid the potential for creating a deadline which cannot be met. But Dr Billings said the worst problems with callers facing long delays in getting non-emergency calls answered had been answered to a large extent by changes to staffing at the force’s Atlas Court call centre.

When the system is switched on, it should mean the process of dealing with callers’ needs will be smoother and quicker for call handlers, meaning they can deal with a greater volume of calls.

But it will also open up the prospect of callers communicating with the force through different means, including social media, webchats and email, rather than have to use the traditional telephone method.

Dr Billings said the system was a “big commitment” in spending terms for the force and much time had been spent in the design phase following the decision to move forwards with the system.