Please note:
The information on this page is believed to be correct, based upon the web site administrator's current knowledge.
However, at the present time (January 2012) Hampshire Constabulary is part of the way through an extensive series of organisational changes, and its own web site, and that of Police.uk, is not up-to-date.
Please be aware, therefore, that by following the links suggested on this page you may find information which does not reflect the present reality.
This warning notice will be removed when the web site administrator believes that Hampshire Constabulary has brought its own information up-to-date.
Why, when and how to contact the police:
reporting crimes and other incidents
The importance of making that call
We often hear members of the public - including our own Neighbourhood Watch members! - complain that incidents are "not worth reporting, because nothing happens".
This is just not true; it is just that people do not know what happens. If you expect a police car with its blue lights flashing and its sirens blaring to turn up within five minutes of your call, you are (usually) being unrealistic. The fact is that all incidents are recorded, and the information is used to inform the pattern of policing in your area. It just isn't possible to give individual feedback to everybody who calls in with an incident, but the overall patterns are discussed by the police, the local council and by members of your committee, which includes your Neighbourhood Watch Area Coordinator.So please remember - your call really does count! Remember, too, that it is always best practice to keep your Scheme Coordinator, your Group Coordinator and your Area Coordinator informed about all criminal incidents which occur. It is only when everybody knows what the problems are, and where they are occurring, that we can all work together to find the solutions.
It is also recommended, when you do make that call, that you state clearly to the operator that you are a Neighbourhood Watch member and that you ask for, and make a note of, the incident reference number allocated to your call. The first of these steps will demonstrate to the police that NW is actually working, and the second will give a reference point should there be a need to follow up your report for any reason at a later date.
(As well as the numbers referred to below, there are alternative means of communication available to those with hearing dificulties; for details of the "PLOD" (Police Link Officers for Deaf people) scheme, please visit http://www.hampshire.police.uk/Internet/advice/plod.htm)
999 (Emergencies)
Please only use 999 to report emergency situations. There is a helpful mnemonic to remember when to use 999:
• Phone 999 only if:
• Offenders are nearby
• Life is at risk
• Injury is caused or threatened
• Crime or disorder is in progress
• Emergency situations
Calls to this number will be routed to Hampshire Constabulary's Control Room in Netley, where an operator (who may be a police officer or a civilian employee) will take all relevant details before deciding upon a course of action. This may well mean an immediate deployment of a police unit to investigate the incident, but this does depend upon the priority of the incident when measured against other reported incidents in the local district and the availability of police resources. Where it is not possible to provide an immediate response, the call handler will normally be able to give you an ETA (estimated time of arrival); this may be anything up to two hours from the time of your call, depending on the priority grading given to your call and the availability of units to deploy. If it is not possible to achieve the ETA, you should receive a follow-up call to keep you informed.
The Control Room uses sophisticated mapping technology to pinpoint the incident based upon the information you are able to provide: a post code is always most helpful.
As an alternative to 999, you can use the EU-wide emergency number, 112.
Non Emergency Numbers
When contacting Hampshire Constabulary on any matter which does not justify the use of the 999 Emergency service, you have a choice of two numbers to use:
101 : this will be charged at a flat rate of 15p, whether from a landline or from a mobile telephone.
(This is a single non-emergency number which is now used by police throughout England and Wales for non-emergency matters. It is possible to make contact with any police force, even if the call is being made from another police area.)
- 01962 841534: this will be charged at your telephone company's tariff for a geographic landline number.
Calls to either of these two numbers will be answered at the Hampshire Constabulary Force Enquiry Centre at Headquarters in Winchester, and can be used to make contact with staff at any Police Station or Department of Hampshire Constabulary, as well as to report any incidents of crime or disorder which do not fall within the designation of an emergency situation.
What happens when you report a non-emergency incident will depend upon the circumstances, and may include one or more of the following, after the operator has obtained details from you:
- On some occasions the incident may be escalated by the operator to an emergency situation, in which case your call will be transferred to the Control Room (see "999 (Emergencies)", above).
- The incident may be reported to your local Safer Neighbourhoods Team, so that they are aware of what is happening on their patch. A member of the SNT may make contact with you to discuss the incident in more detail, but the fact that they do not make contact should not be taken as an indication that they have not been made aware.
- The data is made available to your local council's Community Safety Team, who work closely with the police and various other agencies to combat low-level crime and anti-social behaviour. For more information about the work of your local council in this respect, please see the "Partners Against Crime" page of this website.
- You may ask for, or be offered, an appointment to meet with an officer at an agreed time and place, which may be at a police station or at your home address, to discuss the issues which led to your call. Officers allocated to these pre-arranged appointments are ring-fenced to ensure that they are not diverted for other operational requirements.
If you want action taken, you need to make sure that somebody knows about it, so make that call!
If, however, you ever feel that your call has not been handled as well as you would have wished, please draw this to the attention of your Area Coordinator, through your scheme coordinator, so that any shortfalls in service may be monitored and investigated. You can also make direct contact with your local police officers, by email, by telephone, or by attending one of their regular "surgeries". For full details of your local team, and how they can be contacted, please visit the Hampshire Constabulary website at www.hampshire.police.uk and follow the links to Your Local Policing Team.
Waterlooville & District Neighbourhood Watch Association has written agreements with the Sector Inspector which cover all aspects of communication between officials and members of the Association with the police at all levels within the Waterlooville Sector, including the submission of information and intelligence to the police. If you have any doubts about any aspect of this communication, you should contact your Area Coordinator (or any of the officials listed on the Committee and Contacts page) for clarification.