Online crime reporting wins praise from police

People in Sunderland have been praised by police for helping them deal with emergencies.

Superintendent Mark Hall, from Northumbria Police’s communications unit, has praised the public for using digital reporting – and helping helping to keep phone lines free for vital calls.

Since the force's digital reporting channels opened in November 2019, there has been a 22% reduction in 101 non-emergency calls with many choosing to report online instead.

Supt Hall said: "We really have seen a difference in people using online reporting and because of this, we are able to utilise the resources for emergency 999 calls – ensuring we can continue to reach vulnerable victims when they need us most. Our 101 response times are now also 55% quicker so those who may find technology difficult to use, their calls are being answered more promptly.

"We will always tell anyone to call 999 in an emergency but for non-emergency reporting the digital online systems are a quick and easy tool to share information.

"By introducing the nonemergency online reporting it has also been a significant measure in helping us keep our teams Covid safe.

“It also means anyone needing to self-isolate at home can do so while still answering online inquiries.”

There were almost 10,000 fewer non-emergency calls to the Force in December last year compared to the same period in 2019, with almost 5,000 people choosing to report online.

Supt Hall continued: "I want to take the opportunity to thank those who have reported online and we urge others to use this service."