Staying calm and in control with the 101 and 999 call handlers

FROM missing people and shop thefts to the most harrowing of crimes, Cleveland Police call handlers hear it all.

- By NAOMI CORRIGAN

the gazette was invited to see the team at work

(CLEVELAND POLICE)

The force control room is the first point of contact for emergencies, concerns and developing crime on Teesside and the team is available round-the-clock.

The Gazette was invited by the force to spend an afternoon in the department at its Hemlington headquarters.

We were given the opportunity to chat with staff, from call-takers and dispatchers to managers, and listen in on both 101 and 999 calls.

No two days are the same and some calls hit harder than others. Leah Burton, who has worked as a call handler for three years, said it's not always the most shocking of crimes which hit the hardest.

"An old lady recently rang in before and was stuck alone in the dark on her own," she said. "Her electricity and gas had gone off and she had no family to help."

Leah was also the first point of police contact when a man tragically died on the Trunk Road in Grangetown on Thursday, January 15. The pedestrian in his 50s was hit by three cars and died of his injuries.

"People can be screaming and some calls do stay with you but the big thing about policing is we all support each other. We all do a job where somebody needs our help and you have to remain professional and take emotion out of it."

In another call, a social worker needed assistance while carrying out a mental health warrant at an address where patient had previously been violent. Shortly after, a member of staff from a bookies called in after a disgruntled punter smashed a front door.

Not all jobs are straightforward. In one call, Leah spoke with a woman who explained she had argued with her son and they had pushed each other before the teen fled in just his onesie and no shoes on.

During the call, details appeared on Leah's screen showing another call had been made to a separate handler reporting that the mother had allegedly assaulted her son.