Out of hours call handling partnership reviewed

The Highland Council has reviewed its current arrangements for out of hours call handling. 

An alternative arrangement to the current partnership with Police Scotland has been identified, as the service was to be moved from the Inverness Force Operations Centre to a virtual service centre between Edinburgh and Glasgow, at a higher cost.

Members agreed that the Council should enter into partnership with Aberdeen City Council to provide the out of hours service. 

Chair of the Community Services Committee, Cllr Graham Mackenzie said: “There are a number of benefits in entering a partnership with Aberdeen City Council, which uses a similar system for recording and monitoring calls.  Processes are well established and the service provides a more cost effective solution in the north.”

He added: “Northern Constabulary and Police Scotland have provided Highland Council with a robust and reliable service for 3 years. The proposed changes allow us to reconsider our service delivery model and the partnership with Aberdeen City Council is a good solution.”