Residents in the Burnham-On-Sea area who wish to contact police regarding non-urgent crime or anti-social behaviour will be able to do using a new phone number from next month.
On Monday September 19th, Avon and Somerset Police will be changing its non-emergency number to 101.
Although 999 is a well-recognised number to report emergencies, a recent British Crime Survey found that only half of the public knew which number to call if they wanted to speak to their local police about policing, non-urgent crime and anti-social behaviour issues.
101 will replace the existing non-emergency number for Avon and Somerset Police, which is currently 0845 456 7000.
Assistant Chief Constable Anthony Bangham said: “The new 101 number means members of the public will find it simple to contact us; 101 is easily remembered and will be used across the country.”
“101 is a straightforward number, and I believe that, together with all the other ways people can contact us, 101 will help us provide a better service to the public.”
Calls to 101 will cost 15p per call, irrespective of how long that call may last and applies to landlines and mobile phones. People who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired will be able to textphone 18001 101.
101 should be used for all non-emergencies such as reporting a crime, contacting local officers, getting crime prevention advice, making an appointment with a police officer or making police aware of policing issues.
999 will still be used in a an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, when there is danger to life or when violence is being used or threatened.
