Calling the Police

Call 101 to contact the police to report less urgent crime and disorder or to speak to your local officers. For example, call 101:
• if your car has been stolen
• if your property has been damaged
• if you suspect drug use or dealing in your local area
• to report a minor traffic accident
• to give the police information about crime in your area
• to speak to the police about a general enquiry
In Sheffield, you can also call 101 if you have problems with vandalism and graffiti; noise nuisance; abandoned vehicles; dumping or fly tipping and broken street lighting.
If you have a non-emergency problem to report but can't call 101, you can contact your local police force on their alternative non-emergency number.

Emergency Medical Situations

South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) is launching a campaign this Thursday in a bid to stop people calling 999 for non-life threatening reasons.  With the service receiving 1,235 hoax calls and many more inappropriate calls from January 2011 to October 2011, this is an increasing problem that is putting people’s lives at risk. 

In a concerted effort to address this issue, SCAS is headlining the campaign with a hard-hitting video shot in the style of a movie trailer, which showcases interviews with paramedics, real life emergencies and re-enactments of inappropriate calls and the impact they have.  The video will be available to view on www.999southcentral.co.uk from this Thursday as well as on YouTube.   Please promote the campaign and post this link on your websites, intranets and newsletters, as well as sharing it with your family and friends.

The video will be supported by extensive PR activity and to date interviews have been undertaken/are scheduled with a range of national, local and industry specific media, including ITV Meridian, BBC Oxford, Berkshire and Solent , The Sun, The Portsmouth News and The Journal of Paramedic Practice.

The campaign also comprises a number of educational case study films which will be used to target and engage schools, care homes and GPS to help raise awareness of this increasing problem and encourage appropriate use of the service. 

For further information on the campaign, please contact Gill Hodgetts, Head of Communications and Public Relations, SCAS (tel: 01869 365097, email: gillian.hodgetts@scas.nhs.uk).