Hampshire has become the first area in England and Wales to go live with the single non-emergency number, 101. The number can be used to secure advice and action on safety and anti-social behaviour issues.
The service, which went live on May 15, is designed to improve the delivery of non-emergency services by ensuring a better co-ordinated response by local agencies, while freeing up the 999 service to handle emergency incidents.
101 will be provided by Hampshire Constabulary and local authorities within the county, working together to deliver services and handle calls. Hampshire is the first of five areas in the first wave of the roll out of 101, which will be available across England and Wales by 2008.
The core service will cover:
ˇ Vandalism, graffiti and other deliberate damage to property
ˇ Noisy neighbours
ˇ Intimidation and harassment
ˇ Abandoned vehicles
ˇ Rubbish and litter, including fly tipping
ˇ People being drunk or rowdy in public places
ˇ Drug related anti-social behaviour and
ˇ Street lighting
Calls to 101 will initially be charged at a fixed rate of ten pence per call, whether from landlines or mobile phones, although it may eventually become a free service.
In the media
Non-emergency hotline 'could put lives at risk' — Daily Telegraph
Summer launch for 101 crime line — BBC News
Non-emergency phone line launched — BBC Hampshire