Non-urgent 111 calls to be diverted

Victims of crimes such as vehicle or property theft in Auckland and the Bay of Plenty will be diverted to a new non-emergency call centre from later this year.

Calls made to police stations in the districts will go to the centre from November but it is still unclear how the crimes will be followed up for investigation.

Police were urged to set up a non-emergency number following a review of their communications centres last year but they have not yet chosen a number.

An independent panel of overseas experts said the number of non-urgent calls made to 111 was compromising police response times.

The report said around 65 per cent of the calls handled by the country's three communications centres were not emergencies.

It recommended non-emergency calls be channelled through a separate contact number.

In the Budget, police received $850,000 for the new centre and a further $3.5 million to $3.6 million a year for its operation.

Superintendent Steve Fitzgerald, national manager of the communications centres, said calls made to police stations would go via the non-emergency centre.

"Many calls to police stations are already routed through the communications centres, for example after hours; when the watchhouse at the station is busy; or as station policy for reporting non-emergency events."

Examples of offences that should be reported to police, but where an emergency response was not required, included where a car had been stolen or broken into, theft from a garden shed or tagging of a fence.

Mr Fitzgerald could not say whether the non-emergency centre would assign jobs to staff or refer the crime back to a station for follow-up.

"We'll be able to tell people more about what's involved and how their calls will be handled closer to the time."

The trial centre will be based at the police northern communications centre in Auckland and employ 30 staff.

It is being referred to as the National Assistance Centre but a final choice of name has yet to be made.

The trial will run for a few months before a final decision is made on whether to make it a national service.