Harrogate district residents are being urged to tell police chiefs about their experiences of the non-emergency 101 and emergency 999 services.
It follows long-running concerns in the district about the length of time it takes to answer the calls.
The police contact survey opened on Wednesday and runs until June 26.
The survey, run by the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, will inform police forces, the Home Office and local crime commissioners on any challenges around reporting to the police.
Participants answer questions testing their understanding of emergency and non-emergency reporting systems, as well as newly emerging ways of contacting the police, like web chat, online forms and messaging over social media.
Zoë Metcalfe
Zoë Metcalfe, the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, said:
“Reporting to 101 and 999 remains a challenging area of business for police forces across the country. The needs of those making contact must be understood, and we must prioritise those most in need.
“I have expressed my concerns to the Chief Constable regarding poor call handling times. The Chief Constable and I are committed to significantly improving the customer contact experience and call handling times, and will monitor performance closely with the aim to improve the service as a priority. This will also include the call-waiting times for the non-emergency 101 service.”
Read more:
- Police commissioner: 101 line deluged by ‘neighbours complaining about each other’
- Commissioner Candidates questioned: the 101 call system ‘not fit for purpose’
Ms Metcalfe’s predecessor, Philip Allott, was told by North Yorkshire county councillors last year that the non-emergency line was “not fit for purpose and it hasn’t been fit for purpose for the last eight years” and that “the phone just doesn’t get answered”.
Ms Metcalfe will discuss North Yorkshire’s force control room’s performance in her next public accountability meeting on Tuesday.
Members of the public can submit questions in advance of the meeting via email to [email protected]. They should include their name and address.
You can take part in the public contact survey here.
