Police policy in England and Wales is to always explain to a member of the public who contacts the police what will happen as a result of them doing so. During initial contact between a victim of crime and the police, this task often falls to police call-handlers. This article examines information on police response activity provided to victims by police non-emergency call-handlers during such instances of contact. Empirical analysis highlights the importance that call-handlers place on providing accurate information on response activity to those who call the police, and the various challenges that they can encounter when attempting this.
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