You may remember back in April, I highlighted the problems here faced by residents trying to report crime via the Thames Valley Police anti-social behaviour/non-emergency telephone number.
I have publicly pressed for improvements to this service since 2006 and I continue to receive complaints about the way calls are handled/mishandled by the out of town call centre. This needs to be sorted so people think it's worthwhile reporting crimes to the Police and to ensure that our neighbourhoods get the Police attention they deserve.
Residents in North Whitley who I have been encouraging to phone in issues relating to mini-motos have certainly had a mixed response via this number and this has delayed getting action taken to tackle this nuisance.
Anyway, success at last tonight as I got the issue on to the agenda for the next meeting of the Council's Safer Reading Campaign on 20 October. Please contact me with your experience of reporting issues to the Police via the hotline number (0845 8 505 505) and I would be happy to raise these with TVP representatives at that meeting.
I also pressed the Police to update members of the Campaign on the progress of Neighbourhood Policing in the New Year, one year after it as rolled out across Reading.
Confirmation too tonight from officers that our bid for improved street lighting on Foxhill/Cardigan Roads, Blenheim/Cardigan Gardens is progressing.
With luck around 19 lamps will be upgraded in this area over the coming months - long overdue.
I have to sayI've never had a problem from here in Oxford ringing the TVP non-emergency number. When you say "out of town call centre", where is it? I always got the distinct impression that I was talking to someone based at the force HQ in Kidlington. I guess that is "out of town" for Reading though so may itself be problematic.
Posted by: Jock | July 09, 2008 at 08:32 AM