900,000 people managed to remember 131 444

ACT Policing today (Friday, August 31) will mark the 10th anniversary of the switchover to the national 131-444 police assistance line.

Over the past decade ACT Policing has received over 900,000 calls to the line and in doing so, has saved both lives and property.

The former local police assistance line, 11444, was switched off on August 31, 2002, as the ACT moved into line with the national 131-444 standard.

Since 2002, ACT Policing has received around 91,000 131-444 calls per year. All the calls come into Police Operations at the Winchester Police Centre, which is staffed on a 24/7 basis.

Operations Superintendent Kylie Flower said that the 131-444 police assistance line was now nationally recognised, and a call to this number would switch the user through to police assistance in the relevant jurisdiction.

“It’s timely, too, to remind people that 131-444 is the number to call if you need police assistance, while 000 (Triple Zero) should be reserved for life-threatening emergencies,” Superintendent Flower said.

“We would greatly encourage members of the public to have 131-444 programmed into their mobile phone, together with the Crime Stoppers phone number 1800 333 000 to report suspicious activity or behaviour.”

[Courtesy ACT Policing]