HAMPSHIRE Constabulary is set to introduce a new computer system after experiencing a rise in unanswered 999 calls.

The £27million system will reduce the volume of emergency calls that controllers say they have to ignore.

Figures from Hampshire Constabulary show the proportion of abandoned 999 calls rose from 0.9 per cent to 1.6 per cent between April and June 2017, when compared with the same period last year.

However, this is marginally better than neighbouring Thames Valley Police, which saw 2.1 per cent of 999 calls unanswered, compared to 1.6 per cent in the same quarter in 2016.

In Thames Valley this means that one in every 50 people who dial 999 in need of police assistance do not get through.

The number of 999 calls in Hampshire between April and June was 63,134, up from 56,146 in the same period in 2016 - a 12 per cent rise.

Whereas Thames Valley Police saw an increase of 15 per cent in the same time period.

Chief Supt Christian Bunt is leading the contact-management-system project, which will be a joint venture between Hampshire and Thames Valley police.

Thames Valley Police will pilot it first in January, before it is switched on in Hampshire from March.

“Police forces across the country are currently facing high levels of demand into their control rooms and contact centres, and Hampshire Constabulary is no different,” Mr Bunt said.

“We are always looking at ways we can improve our service for members of the public. As a result we have been working jointly with Thames Valley Police and Microsoft, as technology partner, on a programme to deliver a new command-and-control platform. This is due to be in place in the first half of 2018.

“Replacing a number of existing systems, the command-and-control platform will be used to record all of our contact from the public - whether reported online, by telephone or in person - and the majority of this contact will be managed within our call centres. The platform will also be used within the police control room to manage crime and incidents, and the deployment of officers to the public in emergency and non-emergency situations.

“It will enable us to provide a more victim-focused response, and provide more information to the call handler to enable us to tailor our response to the needs of the caller. This is particularly important when dealing with people who are vulnerable.

“The platform will also provide us with all the information we need in one place to improve our efficiency in identifying the appropriate response, and provide control room operators with better visibility of available resources and understanding of local crime issues.

“This is part of a range of work we are doing to future-proof our systems and ensure we are equipped to provide the best service possible to members of the public.”

The cost of the revamp is £27m and comes at a time when police are looking to save money wherever they can - indicative of how necessary they believe it to be.

Hampshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Michael Lane (Cons) said short-term measures, such as recruiting extra staff, had been explored over the past few months in response to the mounting workload.

“The 999 and 101 service has been, and continues to be, under pressure but I would like to reassure the public that we monitor performance very closely and that the constabulary’s response to 999 emergency calls and serious threats continues to be professional, impactful and timely,” he said.

“Over the summer there was an increase in calls that in part resulted from an increase in demand, but also reflected the public need for reassurance following on from the terrible events (terrorist attacks) of this year.

“The short-term action taken has been to recruit extra staff into our control room to support the increase in demand.

“For the longer term a project already exists, and is nearing completion, it will improve the public’s experience of 999 and 101, and indeed all engagement and communication with the constabulary.

“This project is a significant improvement that will mark the next step in our journey to reach our goal to be ‘best in class’ for call handling and response.

“It is a strategic investment that takes advantage of improvements in technology to better serve our communities.

“Implementation is planned for mid-January 2018 and will open the door to further improvements in the future.”

Between April and June 2016, Hampshire Constabulary received 56,146 calls to its 999 service, abandoning 525 of them.

But this year, during the same period (April to June 2017), 63,134 calls were made to its 999 service with 993 abandoned.

The figures for its 101 non-emergency service follow a similar trend. Between April and June 2016, there were 172,768 calls, 26,341 of which were abandoned. And this year there were 175,441 calls and 33,556 of them were left unanswered.