The Alberta RCMP have made some-time saving improvements in their call management that were announced this past Tuesday.

Sgt. Barry Larocque, Call Management NCO for the Alberta RCMP, says one of the two new units developed and announced will allow for officers to spend more time in the community, and less time on paper work.

"Every call is important, we need to manage them differently. The call back unit is providing a good service. When they call the police, our people are able to talk them through the basics of the call, but then be able to provide them some more time, and validate how they're feeling about it," he said.

The Call Back Unit is staffed with experienced RCMP members, and has the ability to divert non-emergency calls that are not time sensitive, nor pose a threat to public safety to a member that will further assess the call and disperse it appropriately for further services.

Larocque estimates this has saved the RCMP approximately 9000 man hours since February, which is equal to nine RCMP member positions across the province.

The Call Back Unit filters frauds or scams, minor mischief and thefts, dated traffic offences, lost property and harassing phone calls to an experienced team member, who spends sufficient time on the call,providing file numbers, and following further investigation, if required.

Sgt. Barry Larocque, says the second initiative, the Data Centre, which is in its pilot phase, will save officers sufficient time in their reporting processes.

"We've developed the ability to have them call in from their police cars, and record their investigation. They can list all the entities involved, do a narrative of what happened, and they can do that all, in what we're seeing right now, to be on average a three-and-a-half to four minute phone call," he said.

The Pros Data Centre pilot project has reduced data entry for participating RCMP officers from approximately 30 minutes to 3 minutes and 30 seconds.

Based on 868 police files entered since the pilot program launched in June, the Pros Data Centre has saved 375 hours of data entry time for RCMP frontline members, not including travel time.

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