POLICE in Essex have made a move to try and stop their staff being tied up dealing with problems that have nothing to do with them.Senior officers say switchboards are being overloaded with calls about abandoned cars, low flying aircraft, broken street lights and noisy neighbours.
POLICE in Essex have made a move to try and stop their staff being tied up dealing with problems that have nothing to do with them.
Senior officers say switchboards are being overloaded with calls about abandoned cars, low flying aircraft, broken street lights and noisy neighbours.
But Essex Police said more often than not other authorities are responsible for such problems and are trying to free up officers' time.
Now the force has published a leaflet, Who has Responsibility for that?, so non-police issues can be solved more efficiently.
The leaflet includes details of different organisations and departments set out to help those people with the problems they encounter on a daily basis.
Tina Starling, PR manager at Essex Police, said: “Hopefully this booklet will not only help to free up the switchboard at Essex police, but also the wasted calls and time that people spend on the phone when they are trying to deal with a problem.”
She added: “In an emergency it is important to always ring 999 and that is where there is serious risk of injury, risk of serious damage to property, or a crime or suspicious incident is actually in process.”
The leaflet will help the public find out whose responsibility the problem is and how to contact them.
It will also make it a lot easier for Essex police to help those in real emergencies.
Who has Responsibility for that? is available from front offices at police stations, mobile stations, council offices and the Citzens' Advice Bureau offices across Essex.
The leaflets can also be obtained by sending an A5 stamped addressed envelope to Ms Tina Starling at Essex Police HQ, PO Box 2,Springfield, Chelmsford, Essex CM2 6DA.
The information is also available on the Essex police website on www.essex.police.uk
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