I’m a Police call handler. AMA

[Neoncoral]

I will try and answer all questions, if there are any!

What qualifications do you need to become a call handler? I have always been interested in doing it

I just had my standard GCSEs and A levels. However I think it’s more about the kind of person you are. You should keep an eye out on your local force’s website and just go for it when they come up. They usually recruit a number at once. There are a few stages to the recruitment process including an assessment centre, but you will be with others feeling just as nervous as you. Do it, you won’t regret it,

How long have you been in the job?

Which police force do you work for? —Don’t really expect you to answer...just trying to see if you work where I do

I am strategically trying to swerve those sort of questions ;)

Do you do the same job? Please jump in and answer questions too!

What do you think of the standard MN advice 'call 101 and log it with the police'

When a caller is reporting someone missing and you are entering their (the missing person's) details on the computer does it automatically search the records for whether or not that person has located anywhere (ie. been picked up by police, admitted to hospital, arrested etc)?

Can your computer systems also search by details like height, hair colour, clothing and so on or just by name?

What do you think of the standard MN advice 'call 101 and log it with the police'

Well, I’d never want to put anyone off from calling and sometimes what may seem a non incident is actually a gateway to a whole backstory that we might be able to help with. With that said, sometimes I do smile when I see that advice given, especially in parking threads! I wonder how pissed off they might end up to queue for 101 only to be told it’s not really a police matter. People can always email 101 direct from their local forces website if they are not sure.

Are you permitted to resolve an issue at first point of contact, or do you have to create an incident log for every call?
I ask this as a dispatcher, who used to do call handling and dispatch together until it was separated, and our call handlers have to log EVERYTHING when a lot could be answered at point of contact which massively increases our workload as dispatchers

When a caller is reporting someone missing and you are entering their (the missing person's) details on the computer does it automatically search the records for whether or not that person has located anywhere (ie. been picked up by police, admitted to hospital, arrested etc)?

Our systems give various notifications when inputting and saving the details of people and we also search the many different systems and databases ourselves to see what other details on that person is available to us. This is usually ongoing while talking to you. We will ask specific questions when someone goes missing, recording your answers into a log. That log is then managed by all the police teams involved including the dispatch officers. These teams have an overview of all the logs coming in.

There is also a database that is used just for missing people, that is constantly monitored and updated.

Can your computer systems also search by details like height, hair colour, clothing and so on or just by name?

It depends on what database is being used and the reason you’re searching. I’m sorry if that doesn’t help.

Are you permitted to resolve an issue at first point of contact, or do you have to create an incident log for every call?
I ask this as a dispatcher, who used to do call handling and dispatch together until it was separated, and our call handlers have to log EVERYTHING when a lot could be answered at point of contact which massively increases our workload as dispatchers

Where I am we do try and resolve at the first point. Not every call on both 101 and 999 end up as a log. Though sometimes a log will be created and closed by the call handler then and there after the call just to have a record of that call and the advice given and the reasons for that advice. Those logs are not sent across to the RDOs.

I know in your role you work so incredibly hard at juggling everything and trying to pull units out of thin air, where we are there is a lot that never needs to go across to you.

Who are the people who are listening in (I assume) when you are 'on hold'? I've only ever called 999 once when my ex was breaking into my house and I was sure he was going to kill me. I called, asked for police and was told I was being transferred. Clear as day I remember being given an automated message saying I was on hold, high volume of calls or similar and I was so frightened I said 'Oh no, please help me, he's going to kill me' and straight away the call clicked and someone came on the line saying I'd be put through, just a moment and I'd be put through and it clicked again straight away and I was on to a police handler. Was it a coincidence or is there someone there?

@neoncoral I’m glad your force allows you to resolve at first point of contact-there’s still some common sense left in the world! 😁

@samewitches, you won’t have been put on hold as such, the system my force uses allows me to hear you but not you to hear me, so that’s probably what happened-glad you’re ok

Thank you, that's reassuring to know, I've thought about it often when watching Crimewatch or similar with invasion robberies. It makes sense really but the automated message made me think I was in a queue on my own and I could be on hold until it was too late!
I was ok, luckily he wasn't breaking in to kill me, he was breaking in to tell me he wanted to reconcile and that he'd hurt me if I didn't want to. I wasn't answering his calls and was hanging up if he called from a random number so he had no choice really, he'd tried knocking and I didn't open the door. He was well known to the police, remanded shortly after the harassment continued and served a couple of years all in. Haven't seen or heard since!