A quick-thinking North Yorkshire Police staff member was able to secure immediate support for a vulnerable woman after she secretly called for help.
On the evening of 5th April, North Yorkshire Police received a 999 call – but when Force Control Room staff answered it, the woman on the line said she would like to order a pizza.
The police call handler immediately asked the woman if she was in trouble, to which she confirmed “yes”.
With the woman only able to answer “yes” and “no” to questions, police established she was on a bus in North Yorkshire and was at risk of harm from a man who was with her.
While keeping the phone line open, the call handler could also text her for more information.
Officers managed to locate the bus using an online tracker and they stopped it in the York area.
A 40-year-old man from Leeds was arrested in connection with the incident. He remains in custody at this time.
Inspector Dan Spence, Force Incident Manager in North Yorkshire Police’s Control Room, said:
“This was really good work by everyone involved, allowing us to take immediate action to safeguard a vulnerable woman.
“I’m aware of people using the ‘pizza ordering’ technique abroad to contact the police, but I cannot recall a similar call in North Yorkshire.”
A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police added:
“All 999 calls are directed to call centres and answered by BT operators.
“They will ask which service you need. If no service is requested but anything suspicious is heard throughout the process, the operator will connect you to a police call handler.
“It is always best to speak to the operator if you can, even by whispering.
“You may also be asked to cough or tap the keys on your phone in response to questions.
“The police call handler will attempt to communicate with you by asking simple yes or no questions.
“If you are not able to speak, listen carefully to the questions and instructions from the call handler so we can assess your call and arrange help if needed.”
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