EMERGENCY calls are already being dealt with more quickly thanks to the return of the Police Communications Centre to Lancaster.

And, according to Lancaster's Chief Supt Bernard Kershaw, every second counts when lives may be at stake.

The new centre was set up just two weeks ago following the unsuccessful trial run of a centralised system based in Blackpool.

Following complaints that operators were slow to answer calls and often lacked important local knowledge, Chief Constable Pauline Clare ordered a review and communications rooms were turned over to local divisions once more.

Sgt Geoff Tagg, who helped set up Lancaster's new communications room, described some of the problems experienced in Blackpool.

He said: "A despatcher could have been at one end of the room while the person answering the phone might be at the other. It could take a while to get a message across."

The Blackpool system was on such a large scale that staff would have to send urgent messages through the computer system. In Lancaster's office they talk face to face.

Sgt Tagg added: "The lads weren't happy going to jobs and getting ear ache off the public when it wasn't their fault."

Now emergency calls in Lancaster are being answered within the Government's set target time of ten seconds. And within the next two months phones will be answered by operators with local knowledge.

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