Every Police Force in the UK now has a non-emergency number you can call to report things that don't need an emergency reponse, like having trouble with kids throwing stuff at the boat. You can still have such an incident recorded as a crime, which helps the police and the navigation authority build up a picture of where the trouble spots are.
In addition, beginning July 2011, the Single Non Emergency Number 101 is being rolled out nationally to all police forces in England. The roll-out will start in London and the south of England, with more forces coming online each month moving north, and will probably be completed by the end of this calendar year. This means that by early next year, people will be able to dial 101 wherever they are if they want to talk to the police about non-urgent matters. 101 becomes a true alternative to 999. You will even be able to dial 101 whilst in Northamptonshire if you want to talk to Bedfordshire Police, as callers will be given the option of either speaking to the local force for their current location, or to any other force in the country.
Calls to 101 will cost 15p for the whole call, no matter when or how long it lasts. This applies to both landlines and mobile phones. For the first time ever, everyone calling the police for non-emergency matters will know exactly how much it will cost them and will be assured of equal access whether they are on a pay-as-you-go mobile or a home landline. For many, this will be cheaper than the current cost of calling the police for non-emergencies - calls to some existing police non-emergency numbers (such as 0845) can cost up to 40p per minute on pay-as-you-go tariffs.
Thanks to the community website for Pilgrims Way and River Way in Andover
for providing this update, and to Graham Keens for passing it on.
In the meantime, this is the complete list of the numbers:
England:
- Avon & Somerset 0117 962 3110 or 0845 4567000
- Bedfordshire 01234 841212
- British Transport Police 0207 830 8800 or 0800 40 50 40
- Cambridgeshire 01480 456111 or 0845 4564564
- Cheshire 01244 350000 or 0845 4580000
- City of London Police 101 or 0207 601 2222
- Cleveland 01642 326326
- Cumbria 01768 891999 or 0845 3300247
- Derbyshire 0345 1233333
- Devon & Cornwall 01752 721100 or 08452 777444
- Dorset 01202 222222
- Durham 0345 6060365
- Essex 101 or 01245 491491
- Gloucestershire 01452 754785 or 0845 090 1234
- Greater Manchester 0161 872 5050
- Hampshire 101 or 01962 841534
- Hertfordshire 101 or 01707 354000
- Humberside 01482 784784 or 0845 6060222
- Kent 01622 690690
- Lancashire 01772 61444 or 0845 1253545
- Leicestershire 0116 222 2222
- Lincolnshire 01522 532222
- Merseyside 0151 709 6010
- Metropolitan Police 101 or 0207 230 1212
- Norfolk 01953 424242 or 0845 4564567
- North Yorkshire 01609 768000 or 0845 6060247
- Northamptonshire 01604 700700
- Northumbria 01661 872555
- Nottinghamshire 0300 300999
- South Yorkshire 0114 220 2020
- Staffordshire 0300 1234455
- Suffolk 01473 613500
- Surrey 101 or 01483 571212
- Sussex 01273 475432 or 0845 60 70 999
- Thames Valley 01865 841148 or 08458 505505
- Warwickshire 01926 415000
- West Mercia 0300 333 3000
- West Midlands 0121 687 4070 or 0845 113 5000
- West Yorkshire 01924 375222 or 0845 6060606
- Wiltshire 01380 735735 or 08454 087000
Wales:
- Dyfed Powys Police 101 or 01267 222020
- Gwent 101 or 01633 838111
- North Wales 101 or 01492 517171
- South Wales 101 or 01656 655555
Scotland:
- Central Scotland 01786 456000
- Dumfries & Galloway 01387 252112
- Fife 01592 418888
- Grampian 01224 386000
- Lothian & Borders 0131 311 3131
- Northern Scotland 01463 715555
- Strathclyde 0141 532 2000
- Tayside 0300 111 2222
Northern Ireland:
- 02890 650222
