Police ask communities to use online contact methods during G7
With additional numbers of people visiting Cornwall during the G7 Summit period, Devon & Cornwall Police are naturally expecting additional demand on our 101 non-emergency number over the next few days.
To help us answer your queries as quickly as we can, we would ask people to make use of our online channels for non-urgent help or advice.
Every online contact received about a policing issue will be answered by a member of our team, so whichever way people choose to contact the police, #ItsPersonal.
Anyone wishing to contact the police with a non-emergency query or report can easily access the online methods– Webchat, Report Online and Email 101.
*WebChat* - dc.police.uk/webchat WebChat allows you to talk online directly with our contact centres - just the same as calling us. WebChat is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and can be used to ask questions, report non-urgent crime, and receive updates on existing crime.
*Report Crime Online* - dc.police.uk/reportcrime Report Crime Online is an easy way to report information to us or report an incident or crime. Simply record all the details on the online form then submit it via our website. Our contact centre staff will receive the form, record the crime, and provide you with a crime reference number.
* Email 101* - 101@dc.police.uk Email 101 to ask us a question, tell us something or report non-urgent crime. Our email service is monitored daily, and our contact centre staff will respond as soon as possible.
By using the online contact methods where possible it allows the phone lines to be kept free for those who might not have access to the internet when they need to contact us.
If you do still need to call the 101 non-emergency number, our contact centre staff are available to answer your calls day or night. We would recommend before calling that you visit our website to check the current waiting times – dc.police.uk/contact
During the G7 summit, our police enquiry offices in Camborne and Bodmin will also be opening longer hours and across the weekend to help with enquiries. To find out times and locations of our Police Enquiry Offices visit dc.police.uk/ police-enquiry-office.
Commander for Contact and Command Resolution, Chief Superintendent Ian Drummond-Smith from from Devon & Cornwall Police said: “We are extremely pleased to be hosting the G7 summit this week. We are aware that the increasing number of visitors to the region could have an impact on the number of people requiring help.
“Our non-emergency online contact methods are an excellent way for people who need to ask questions or tell us about something without needing to call. All our contact centre staff respond to both online contacts from members of the public and answer our non-emergency 101 number, so the service people receive is just as personal regardless of the method used.
“We would therefore ask anyone needing to contact us, if it’s not an emergency, to use one of the online contact options - WebChat, Report Crime Online and Email 101. By choosing to use one of these options, your enquiry will be answered by a member of the team and you will be helping to keep the phone lines free for people without internet access.”
Devon & Cornwall Police also have the non-emergency directory - AskNED –dc.police.uk/AskNED which helps answer the most-commonly asked questions. The online service is simple, easy to use and provides you with the information you need. AskNED can be used to ask questions, check who to contact and find out who can help.
In an emergency, when life is threatened, people are injured, offenders are nearby or immediate action is required, always dial 999.
--- Note to readers: This message has been disseminated by Devon and Cornwall Police - please visit their official website for further information.
