Contacting the police when it's not an emergency

When to call the 101 non emergency number

101 is the number to call when you want to contact us when it’s less urgent than a 999 call.

101 is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. As of 1st of April 2020 calls to 101 are free no matter what time of day you call or how long you're on the phone.

We always aim to answer your call as quickly as possible. We aim to answer all 101 calls within 60 seconds. At times, particularly during major incidents, we might receive more calls than normal and you might wait slightly longer.

You can call the 101 non-emergency number when you want to:

• Report a crime or criminal damage
• Report a minor road traffic collision
• Contact your Neighbourhood Policing Team
• Give us information about a crime or an offender. You can also contact Crimestoppers to do this anonymously, either by calling 0800 555 111 or by passing information Crimestoppers online.
• Get information or advice about a policing issue.

For example, you should call 101 if:

• Your car has been stolen
• Your property has been damaged
• You suspect drug use or dealing in your neighbourhood.

101 is the number to call when you want to contact us when it’s less urgent than a 999 call. 101 is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Calls to 101 are free as of 1st April 2020, no matter what time of day you call, or how long you're on the phone.

What happens when I call 101?

When you call 101 from within Nottinghamshire you'll hear either:

• "Thank you for calling 101. Please select from the following two options. For Derbyshire Police press 1, for Nottinghamshire Police press 2. Or press hash for the operator"; or
• "Thank you for calling 101. We're connecting you to Nottinghamshire Police. If you require an alternative police force please press 1."

If you need to contact another police force, the operator will be able to transfer your call to any police force in England and Wales.

Once connected to us, you're given five options or the option to be transferred to an operator. Please listen to the options presented to you to help save your time and ours.