The Communications Centres (Comms) receive 111 and non-emergency calls and dispatch police to jobs. We provide the critical link between the public and frontline policing.
Police have Communications Centres in Auckland, Kāpiti, Wellington and Christchurch and report to a national manager at Police National Headquarters in Wellington. There are five centres, which receive about 60,000 calls a week – that's 3.6 million calls a year.
Communications Centres handle:
- 111 emergency calls – when urgent assistance is needed
- non-emergency calls – reporting less urgent incidents that don't need an immediate police response (including calls to *555, 105 and the Crime Reporting Line).
Our staff
More than 700 staff work across the five centres in a range of roles such as communicators, dispatchers, section managers, team leaders, shift commanders, workforce analysts, intelligence analysts, trainers, IT and administrative support. We operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
All of our centres have business continuity plans and back-up capability, which means if one of the centres is operating at full capacity, or unable to operate due to an emergency situation, other centres can help by picking up the work.
Our professionally trained staff have access to vital information to assist with emergencies and non-emergencies throughout New Zealand.
Become a police communicator
Police communicators handle calls about burglaries, family violence, disputes, fights, crashes, armed robberies, search and rescues, homicides, dangerous driving, missing children, thefts and many other incidents.
Communicators find out what's happening and where, decide on the right police response and send information through to the police dispatchers who are responsible for getting police units on their way.
Communicators work in a collaborative work environment in which colleagues, team leaders and managers provide support, guidance and advice throughout the shift.
Are you quick at gathering and analysing information and keen to help people who need police assistance? Perhaps you are looking for a stepping stone to becoming a police officer? Working as a police communicator could be the job for you.
If you are interested in becoming a Police Communicator, you can find out more information and apply here.