Cops slammed for slow 999 responses to spend £2MILLION on new laptops so more staff can work from home
POLICE forces criticised for slow 999 responses are to spend £2million on new laptops so more staff can work from home.
Essex and Kent Constabularies say they want the “tech refresh” as part of a move to remote working.
It is part of a push to save money on desk spaces in offices, which has been ongoing since the pandemic.
Kent Police has more than 1,300 employees registered as home-workers.
The Essex force said it had been “demonstrated that many teams have the ability to be equally effective working from home”.
The new deal has been given to supplier Computacentre UK Limited for £1.94million and runs until the end of this year.
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But the move to more home-working comes after both forces were blasted for their responses to emergency calls.
In December a report compiled by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary said the number of crimes Kent Police solves is “unacceptably low”.
It also found fault with the response to 999 calls, saying: “Failing to answer calls quickly enough can mean losing both public confidence and investigative opportunities.”
And in 2022 a report by the inspectorate said emergency calls to Essex Police were taking longer to answer than the national standard.
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Both forces said the computers were for all workers to use across multiple locations and not just for those staff working from home.