TAYSIDE POLICE have said 999 calls must remain free for every member of the community.
The force’s statement came after a senior representative for officers in the region floated the “ludicrous” idea of charging for dialling the emergency number.
However, Sergeant David Hamilton, secretary of Tayside Police Federation, yesterday suggested making all calls to the emergency services free and claimed he was seeking to strike up a debate about how to ease pressure caused by nuisance calls on control rooms.
It came after a comment he made on Twitter raising the idea of making 999 a premium rate number, so only people with “real emergencies” called.
Speaking to The Courier, Mr Hamilton claimed aspects of his original suggestion could be considered as part of a debate on tackling nuisance calls.
He said: “Equally, you could make all calls to police free. There is a problem where sometimes people will phone 999 because it is free and the non-emergency numbers are not free.
“This is part of a much, much wider debate on how to manage 999 calls. I’m not putting it forward as a proposal, it’s just a point I raised.”
He added: “It’s about delivering a better service it’s nothing to do with cost. It’s about making sure people can get through when they dial 999.”
A Tayside Police spokeswoman said: “The 999 emergency telephone number is a vital service and must remain free for every member of our communities to use.
“There are, however, instances when the 999 system is inappropriately used and we are addressing this by educating the public on its use.
“This, coupled with the introduction of the single non-emergency number 101 in the coming months should make it easier for the public to contact the police in the most appropriate way.”
Mr Hamilton’s Twitter post also came under fire from politicians across the board.
Liberal Democrat justice spokeswoman Alison McInnes said: “Frankly this is a ludicrous suggestion. If even one young woman or elderly person was put off seeking urgent assistance because they did not have enough credit on their phone it would be one too many.”
Conservative justice spokesman David McLetchie said: “We certainly don’t want to discourage people from reporting crimes to the police, or incidents to any other emergency service, but that’s what this proposal would do.”
Labour’s justice spokesman Lewis Macdonald said: “Hoax and unnecessary calls to our emergency services are foolish, life-threatening and frustrating for those who have to answer them but charging people 50p a time isn’t the answer.”
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said charging for 999 calls was a matter for the emergency services and telecoms companies to decide on.
kiandrews@thecourier.co.uk