Harassment, assault, and an old woman in her dressing gown – A typical shift for one of the constabulary’s “hero in a headset”

Dear Resident, 

For most people, calling 999 is something they hope they'll never need to do. 

But for our call handlers, every ring of the phone could be someone experiencing their very worst moment, needing help that could ultimately be the difference between life and death.

In this special behind-the-scenes feature, take a look inside our control room and spend a day with Chelsea, one of Cambridgeshire Constabulary's call handlers, and discover what it's really like to be the calm voice on the other end of the line when help is needed most.

Working out of the Force Contact Centre (FCC) in Huntingdon, Chelsea starts her shift today at 2pm. Control rooms operate 24 hours a day, so a typical shift could start at various times of the morning, afternoon or evening depending on which shift pattern you’re on that day. 

Chelsea arrives, logs in to all the relevant systems (there’s a few!), takes a quick look at anything ongoing, and puts her headset on. 

From the moment she sets her status to live, calls can come in any second. There is rarely a long quiet spell, especially on the weekends, and during the warmer weather. 

As a call handler, you truly never know what the next call will be, and have to be prepared for anything: it could be a minor query, or it could be a cardiac arrest.

Let’s take a look at what Chelsea’s shift had in store for her today! 

2.04pm – Just four minutes into Chelsea’s shift, her first call comes in. It’s an elderly woman reporting that her neighbour has caused damage to the outside of her property. 

Checks on the system confirm that this woman has called multiple times in the last few months. Officers have already been to visit her and their notes suggest that this is mental health related – there was no damage to her property. This call was logged on the system and Chelsea offers the woman reassurance, but officers weren’t deployed. 

2.23pm - Call from a bank with concerns for a customer who is currently abroad but lives in Cambridgeshire when she is home. The bank had concerns that the woman was being financially exploited. We will continue to make attempts to contact the woman to check in, offer advice and raise any appropriate crimes.

2.56pm - 999 call made from a business in Peterborough. The caller didn’t ask for ambulance, police or fire, so the call automatically came through to police. No sounds could be heard in the call, so Chelsea attempted to call them back. Eventually a man picked up who confirmed the call was made in error. 

3.18pm - 999 call made from a man to report youths were harassing him in Peterborough. This is an ongoing situation, and there was mention of weapons, so officers were deployed to the scene quickly. 

4.04pm - Woman reporting that her motorbike, that was stolen yesterday, has been found close to where she lives. Chelsea updated all the systems and officers involved and thanked the woman for the update. 

4.28pm - Woman reporting that her stolen phone had been tracked to a shop in Queensgate, in Peterborough. Officers were deployed to the scene to find the culprit and try and recover the stolen phone. 

5.09pm - Woman reporting that her property, which was listed on Airbnb, had been used as a massage parlour by the tenants renting it. All information recorded on the police system, but officers were not deployed.  

6.39pm – Fourteen-year-old girl reporting a sexual assault that happened on a bus in Peterborough by an adult man. Chelsea attempted to arrange an appointment with officers with the girl face-to-face to gather further information, but she declined.

9.00pm – A man has had a text from police asking him to call back. He submitted an online report to us, but the information he provided was not clear. The crime log was updated with more accurate and detailed information. 

9.32pm – A man has called 101 and has shared his suicidal thoughts. Ambulance service were deployed to his location to try and help him. 

10.26pm – A woman has called us to report that she has been attacked in the street by an unknown man. Officers were deployed to the scene immediately. 

10.57pm – A person called us to report that they could hear a domestic incident in progress. Officers were deployed to the scene. 

11.20pm – A woman called to report that people from a house party have spilled out onto the street, and it was turning violent. The woman also reported that she believed people were drink driving to and from the party. Officers were deployed to the scene.

11.41pm – A man called us to report an elderly woman walking on Ely high street in her dressing gown. Officers were deployed to try and locate her, and help get her home safely. 

Between calls, Chelsea ensures all the appropriate information has been input into the systems, and logs and files online reports, contacting anyone to retrieve further information where necessary. 

999 calls, as well as 101 calls, can vary in length depending on the complexity and needs of the call. 

This is just an average shift for Chelsea, who comes to work every day to make a real difference to the people of Cambridgeshire. 

Chelsea said: “Every single day is different, but I would say all of them are challenging, insightful and gratifying.” 

Keep up the great work, Chelsea, and we hope you’ve enjoyed this glimpse into life inside the constabulary’s control room. 

Kind regards,