Our response
If you have been the victim of a crime we will always respond
sympathetically and record the incident.
Then we make a decision on the most appropriate way to
respond.
Levels of response
We follow four levels of response:
Emergency response
When there is immediate danger or threat of personal injury an
officer will arrive on the scene within 10 minutes in an urban area
and 20 minutes in a rural area or on a motorway.
Priority response
An officer will attend within 20 minutes in an urban area and 30
minutes on a motorway when:
- A crime is in progress
- There is damage to property
- A vulnerable victim needs urgent help
- It’s likely we’ll be able to apprehend an offender or secure
evidence to help us apprehend an offender
Scheduled response
When an incident does not warrant a higher level of response you
will be informed of when an officer will attend.
Depending on the nature of the incident, an officer could be
deployed straight away, within a few hours or by appointment at a
later date.
Non-attendance
When it is not considered necessary for an officer to attend we
will record the incident, offer advice and, if appropriate, refer
you to another agency who can help.
We will take all reasonable steps to arrest those responsible
for a crime but we also have a duty to support you.
We offer all victims of crime an advice leaflet produced by the
Home Office explaining what happens when a crime is reported to the
police.