25/10/10….New non-emergency number 101 goes live (SOURCE: Community Message from Thames Valley Police)

THAMES Valley Police is due to go live with 101, the new national single non-emergency number on November 14, 2011, which will replace the 0845 8 505 505 number. Both numbers will run side by side until the end of March, but if demand for the 0845 8 505 505 number drops it may be discontinued earlier.

Calls to 101 (from both landlines and mobile networks) cost 15 pence per call, no matter what time of day the call is made, or the duration of the call.

Everyone calling the police for non-emergency matters will now know exactly how much a call will cost them, and can be assured of equal access whether they are on a pay-as-you-go mobile or a home landline.

The routing will be based on the same system as 999 calls. If a caller is using a landline the routing will be based on the caller?s postcode and the call will be directed to the same area?s force. If a caller is using a mobile, the call will route using the mast that the phone is transmitting from.

If a call is made to 101 within a force area that has not yet ?gone live?, the caller will hear a recorded message telling them to redial using the relevant non emergency number.