Dorset Police encourage residents to ‘report it right’

Dorset Police said call handlers receive thousands of calls every year asking for help the county force cannot give. This includes noisy neighbours and lost dogs. The force is now urging people to remember the slogan ‘When something’s wrong – report it right’ to make sure they get the right help they need from the appropriate service.

This will also mean police staff can deal with more urgent queries. Chief superintendent Gavin Dudfield, of Dorset Police, said: “We work extremely hard with our partners to provide the best possible service to people in the county, but we need members of the public to make sure they are reporting their issues to the right organisation.

“We see a significant number of calls reporting issues relating to parking, noisy neighbours and lost dogs which should be reported to the local council or other agencies. “We want you to get the help you need as soon as possible and save you time. So, please try to speak with the right people from the start.”

Examples of issues the police are unable to help with include noise pollution, which is dealt with by environmental health at the council, and lost dogs, which local dog wardens can assist with.

Bad parking is dealt with by the council, too, while legal advice may be able to be provided by Ctizens Advice.

For power outages, there is a dedicated emergency line on 105.