Staffordshire Police Chief Constable Gareth Morgan, pictured, stressed that the resolution centre will only deal with ‘non-urgent’ calls to 101
A chief constable has set up a ‘dial-a-detective’ service to investigate burglaries, thefts and anti-social behaviour over the phone because he can’t afford to have his officers ‘dealing’ with every crime.
Incidents of criminal damage, fraud and public-order offences are now being probed from a ‘resolution centre’ set up at a boarded-up police station.
It comes amid reports that another force is recruiting unpaid volunteers to drive officers around.
The ‘quicker and more convenient’ call centre initiative comes as Staffordshire Police are forced to save at least £6.4 million over the next three years.
Chief Constable Gareth Morgan stressed that the resolution centre will only deal with ‘non-urgent’ calls to 101.
But critics claim criminals will be ‘laughing’ at being given the run of the streets where no bobbies ever go out on the beat.
The new system is currently operating across North Staffordshire and it’s claimed 1,400 cases have been resolved since December. It is expected to be rolled out across the county by the summer.
But Mr Morgan admits the force, which has lost hundreds of officers and closed stations due to budget cuts in the past decade, hasn’t got enough resources.
He said: ‘I would agree we haven’t got enough police officer, but this isn’t being done because of that.
‘Too much of what’s coming in is being attended to by police officers or police staff and we don’t want our officers dealing with everything.
‘We need to prioritise much better how we are dealing with limited resources, so we are choosing areas of things that don’t require an immediate response.
‘Officers are now on the phone to members of the public, taking statements and dealing with their investigations. We are investigating their crimes, we are just not attending their home to deal with it.
Incidents of criminal damage, fraud and public-order offences are now being probed from a ‘resolution centre’ (pictured) set up at a boarded-up police station
‘It is a much more efficient process. We need to use more technology, so we are able to have photographs downloaded to us and take statements over the phone or online.’
Stoke-on-Trent’s biggest police station in Hanley closed to the public last December to save cash, but staff will still be based there for up to 18 months.
The station, which was built in 1965, will be put up for sale after the inquiry office was moved to the nearby Smithfield complex. That sale along with other police buildings is expected to raise up to £800,000.
Staffordshire Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Matthew Ellis has approved the decision to sell the station.
The resolution centre operates from 8am to 10pm Monday to Friday and is staffed by 60 police officers and staff.
Police will still dispatch officers in emergency cases and other cases deemed less urgent will still have an officer attend within an hour.
Inspector Mark Barlow said: ‘Previously with non-emergency calls, callers were put in a queue system and their cases were sent out to their local police officers who would attend as and when.
Stoke-on-Trent’s biggest police station in Hanley (pictured) closed to the public last December to save cash, but staff will still be based there for up to 18 months
‘Now, instead, they come to us and each case is allocated to an officer who puts it on their work list and calls them when they can.
‘There were a lot of occasions where we would attend addresses, for CCTV, for example, and we would be wasting our time because that person wouldn’t be in.
‘By investigating this way, by using post, the internet or phone, we can get people to send in evidence so we can process it a lot quicker.’
But East Bentilee Residents’ Association chairman Alan Joinson said: ‘Young kids are running wild causing anti-social behaviour and if police officers won’t be going out then they will be laughing.
‘I’m in favour of old school policing and very rarely do you see officers on the beat on the estates. But I do have some sympathy because they don’t have the numbers.’
And Chell Heath Residents’ Association chairman Jim Gibson said: ‘People are losing confidence in the police because there are fewer and fewer officers on the streets.’