Save Triple Zero for emergencies

Police are urging people to only call Triple Zero in the case of a life-threatening emergency.

Assistant Commissioner Ben Marcus and Acting Superintendent Scott MacQueen launched a new campaign aimed at reducing non-urgent calls to the service, instead encouraging people to report non-urgent matters through Policelink.

Between September last year and August, just 13.67 per cent of calls made to Triple Zero (000) were for emergencies.

Assistant Commissioner Marcus says the campaign aims to raise awareness of the Queensland Police Service’s other reporting avenues by encouraging people to pause and think before dialling Triple Zero.

“Our Police communication centres across the state take more than 726,000 calls each year, and it was alarming to us that more than 400,000 of those could be dealt with through other, more effective reporting avenues,” Assistant Commissioner Marcus says.

Streamlined service

“Our Policelink service has been established for more than 10 years now, providing both phone and online reporting that is very effective, often offering a more streamlined service for those who are calling with a non-urgent enquiry such as lost or stolen property.

“Our communication centres are already very efficient, but we hope that this campaign will further increase their capacity to respond to life threatening emergencies.”

Acting Superintendent Scott MacQueen says the Pause. Think. Search Policelink campaign is about showing people the best way to contact police for non-urgent matters.

“Everyone knows that Triple Zero is there in a life-threatening emergency, but you may be impacted by crime in your day-to-day life and it’s important to know that there are other ways this can be reported,” Acting Superintendent MacQueen says.

“What we’re asking is simple.

“Next time you’re thinking of making a report, if there’s no imminent danger, just pause, think and search Policelink.”

To make a report online click here or phone Policelink on 131 444.

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