Dedicated non-emergency call takers
Until now, most non-emergency calls were answered by police call takers who also answered emergency calls. Because call takers must prioritize emergency calls when volumes increase, non-emergency service levels deteriorate. In response, E-Comm has created a dedicated non-emergency call-taker role, with recruitment of 36 positions completed in 2023. This role recognizes the different skill-sets required for handling emergency versus non-emergency calls, and opens up a larger pool of potential candidates. These agents now answer over 60% of all NER calls.
Read more in our news release.
Non-emergency digital agent pilot
Working with the Vancouver Police Department, E-Comm developed a digital agent pilot launched in May 2023. The digital agent is helping to improve caller experience by answering calls right away and enabling better data on reasons for calls. By helping redirect non-emergency callers to the appropriate agency if the call is not a police non-emergency matter, the digital agent will also free up time for call takers to respond more quickly to other calls. We will be taking lessons learned from this pilot to develop an overall digital strategy for non-emergency calls, including exploring different ways for the public to report crimes. Listen to the non-emergency digital agent demo here.
Harmonizing standard operating procedures
E-Comm answers calls for 33 police agencies, and each one has its own way of responding to non-emergency calls. We collaborated with our police partners to harmonize SOPs across agencies for the 96 different NER “call types” that we answer, reducing call taking complexity, which will help to improve call-handling times, reduce training time, and strengthen quality assurance.
Enhancements to online alternatives for reporting NER incidents
We have worked with our police partners to improve websites for reporting of NER crimes, as an alternative to NER calls.
New NER contact centre technology platform
Our new Genesys “Contact Centre as a Service” technology platform will further improve the caller experience by enabling wait-time estimates and call-back options, improved call menus and information, and SMS and call-transfer capabilities. It will also help to provide better data on the reasons for calls. This is part of our strategy to use technology to improve the public’s experience.