Essex Police have taken the first steps towards a new, multi-million pound call centre, which lets people know details of arrests and convictions resulting from their information.
Essex Police Authority, meeting behind closed doors yesterday, gave the hi-tech proposal tentative approval and a final decision will be made on September 13.
It came after Essex Police Authority chairman Robert Chambers criticised the current call centre, and even told residents to call him at home if they were having problems contacting police.
Southend Tory councillor Brian Kelly, chairman of yesterday's resources and finance committee, said: "This will give the police an opportunity to communicate back to the public to let them know what is happening.
"For the public, it is frustrating to phone and not get through, not be seen quickly or be told what is happening.
"A lot of the information we get is from the public. We will be able to call them back and say 'with your help, we were able to arrest someone and they have been given four months'.
"We will be able to say thank you. Or alternatively, we will be able to call back and ask them for more help."
Published Tuesday August 24, 2004
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