The big picture: Suffolk police has transformed its handling of non-emergency communications by introducing a dedicated digital team, funded by a £1.2 million investment from the Police and Crime Commissioner's council tax precept.
Why it matters: The new Digital Public Contact Engagement Desk (Digi Desk) is helping the force manage increasing demand while improving response times.
Digital services in numbers: In July and August alone, the team handled more than 2,000 website interactions:
The new team handles 85% of all police emails in Suffolk
They manage 79% of all social media communications
Over 2,000 website interactions were managed in July-August 2023
How it works: The Digi Desk operates daily from 7am to 10pm, offering:
Live Chat service between 8am and 9:30pm
Monitoring of Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) messages
Response to website reports
Email management from partner agencies
Emergency responses in numbers:
999 calls have risen significantly - from 8,645 monthly calls in 2019 to 11,141 in 2023
Emergency call response has improved - 88.3% of 999 calls are now answered within 10 seconds, up from 73% in 2022
What they're saying: Assistant Chief Constable Eamonn Bridger said: "Technology is a vital component in how we communicate with the public, but our performance has also benefitted from our highly skilled and trained people because we know how important it is to answer a call as quickly as possible."
What's next: The force plans to expand its digital services further, with a particular focus on:
Extended Live Chat hours
Enhanced support for non-English speakers through automatic translation
Improved accessibility for those who are hard of hearing or speech-impaired
Police and Crime Commissioner Tim Passmore said: "Times change, and it is important that the Constabulary adapts to meet the changing communication demands of the public."
Bottom line: While digital communications are expanding, Suffolk police emphasise that 999 should still be called in emergencies where life is in danger or a crime is in progress.
