Avon and Somerset Constabulary Update!

This is a quoted email reply from Sue Mountstevens, PCC for Avon and Somerset Constabulary, on 29/04/2019:

"Thank you for your additional question and suggestion regarding the CCTV in your taxi.

The CCTV footage would be of use but only if it also has audio from the outset of the journey.  This would need to capture the contract, any subsequent discussions until the end of the journey and any potential dispute.

I trust that this clarification is helpful."

"Thank you for your additional question if you do have audio and CCTV footage of a Bilking Offence then this could be used however if as previously mentioned if this was a dispute over the fair then it would be civil, so the presence of the  CCTV/which captures audio would not necessarily mean a criminal investigation would follow, you should report the incidents through 101, if there are no viable lines of enquiry at the first point of contact when you call in then it will be filed with no investigation and no officer assigned this is correct, if you report an incident and feel it has not been properly dealt with then you should report this through Avon and Somerset professional standards department.

As also stated in a previous email the process for dealing with Bilking Offences has been disseminated to our Force Control Staff to remind them of how to deal with such offences."

This is a quoted email reply from Tara Bryant, Communications Manager at Avon and Somerset Constabulary control room, on 29/04/2019:

"Good Morning,

My name is Tara and I am one of the Communication Managers working in the control room at Avon and Somerset Police HQ. I am responsible for the call handlers and dispatchers that take 999 calls, 101 calls and dispatch Police officers to incidents. I have been passed your complaint by the PCC office. As this is an operational matter I have been asked to respond.

In response to your complaint around people making off without paying from a taxi (Bilking) Call handlers should follow the below process if they receive a call reporting a bilking.

If someone makes no attempt to pay and makes off then we should record this as a crime (Bilking- making off without payment).

If it was happening there and then it should be logged and sent to dispatch for an officer to respond.

If this is something that has previously happened (over 15 mins ago) then it should be recorded and then sent to our desktop investigation team to investigate if there are lines of enquires. If there are no lines of enquires then this will be filed and there will be no further action taken..

If there is a dispute over the fair then this would be a civil matter.

I can see from your email to the PCC that the above process may have not been followed when you have previously called the police. I apologise on behalf of the Constabulary for the fact that a crime was not recorded at this stage.

To ensure that this doesn’t happen again I will send out communication to my staff to ensure that they are following the correct process.

As a result of complaints made by members of the public, we can influence development of individuals and the working practices of Avon and Somerset Constabulary. As an organisation we always ensure that we learn lessons from complaints in order to improve the service we deliver."