MERSEYSIDE Police is urging people to contact the force’s dedicated social media desk to report non-urgent crimes or get advice online following a rise in 999 calls.

The social media desk was introduced on August 1, 2017 to reduce the volume of calls to the non-emergency 101 number while still providing an effective public service.

In the past 12 months the force has taken nearly 17,000 reports via the social media desk and with a 30 per cent rise in emergency 999 calls in the past year (935 emergency calls a day in the second week of July compared with 701 in the same week last year) the force is encouraging people to contact the social media desk on @MerPolCC on Twitter and ‘Merseyside Police CC’ on Facebook to free up phone operators to deal with genuine emergencies.

Merseyside Police is the only force in the UK to staff a dedicated social media desk which allows the public to contact the police online 24-hours-a day, seven days a week, and a number of other forces are looking at developing similar services.

Five dedicated social media desk operators monitor reports and assign them to relevant department in the force to progress.

Assistant Chief Constable Ian Critchley said: "On average Merseyside Police receives 2,500 calls a day and we’ve established that between 1,800 and 2,000 of those calls are non-urgent and don’t require immediate police attendance.

"The social media desk allows people to report crimes or concerns for free and at a time convenient to them, making us more accessible to many, and frees up our call handlers to deal with those emergencies that can only be resolved with a conversation.

"A survey of those making reports via the desk revealed 27% stated they wouldn’t have contacted police at all had it not been for the social media desk, and some 61% would have called 101 instead – that means more than 10,000 calls have been diverted away from call handlers, freeing up the lines.

"Some 96 per cent of those who have used the service said it was very good or good, and we have been really pleased with the support and positive feedback we have received from social media users since its introduction and encourage people to continue to use the service.

"The force has experienced a significant rise in 999 calls and in order for our call handlers to meet the demands of those calls, we are asking the public to assist by using the social media desk where possible.

"We are constantly looking at ways in which we can improve our service to the public to become more effective and accessible and know that while some people will still want to use the phone, an ever-growing number of people would prefer to use social media to make contact. Our social media desk, available 24-hours a day, means we can offer that level of service."

ACC Critchley added: "Whilst we are doing everything we can do to make our systems more effective I want to continue to remind people to contact us because they need us. We regularly receive calls on all sorts of issues such as cats up trees and blocked drains – these types of calls can put extra pressure on our call handlers.

"The social media desk is a non-emergency contact service and does not in any way replace the 999 service. We have had more than 100 reports to the social media desk that have been graded emergencies, but people should continue to call 999 in an emergency."

Operations manager Tony Jackson said: "Since its introduction the social media desk has played a key role in taking away demand on the phone lines and providing people with more choice with an alternative means of reporting non-urgent crimes, or simply asking for advice or guidance.

"In the past year our social media desk operators have dealt with a range of enquiries, from concern for friends or relatives to advice on reporting crimes or suspicious behaviour. It can also prove an invaluable tool for people who want to contact police but would prefer not to speak in person, or feel more comfortable reporting something online.

"It also works as a useful tool for us to push out important messages, advice and information on ongoing incidents affecting the public such as road closures."

  • As well as the non-urgent 101 number and the social media desk, members of the public can also report non-urgent crimes in a number of different ways including a direct email account – COMMCEN@merseyside.pnn.police.uk or via the force website merseyside.police.uk/contact-us/report-crime-online