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Why 999 Is An Emergency Number
Crimestoppers!
It's maybe one of these important questions you thought about yet there are practical and valid reasons why these these numbers where chosen and why the US equivilent is 911. Both owe their careful selection on account of technology applied to telephone systems during the early years of development.
Alexander Graham Bell's ability to transmit sound from one room to another may have paved the way for telephonic communication but, on its own, was pretty limited. To make the telephone system useful, a system was needed whereby users could speak to different people. Initially, callers had to contact an operator who connected circuits using plugs but later, in 1891, an American undertaker named Almon Strowger, patented an electric switching system in which a central rotating core made multiple connections according to a mechanical dial on the users telephone. Business and domestic telephones thus began life with a large circular dial with numbered holes in which the index finger typically rotated a dial towards a stopping point and then released. The dial then sprung back into position before the next digit was entered while a Strowger Relay at the telephone exchange repeated the motion before selecting a different switch and became ready for the next digit. As successive numbers were dialled, the right connections were made and routed towards the intended destination. Initially, this system worked reasonably well but as telephones became more common, the limits of this electromechanical technology became swiftly apparent. Party lines where two or more users shared the same wiring were common in the 1960s but there was also a problem whereby spikes in the mains and electric storms could sometimes trigger false responses at the telephone exchange.
From an emergency call viewpoint, the ideal number would have been 111 since it took far less time to dial but the issues described above would have meant many errant emergency calls. 999 was chosen because the chances of this happening is comparatively slim. The US equivilent of 911 was chosen as a compromise yet still based on the Strowger system.
Today, modern keypad telephones and highly sophisicated telephone exchanges rely on solid-state digital technology with microchips capable of steering telephone calls to millions of destinations within a second and almost anywhere in the World. By contrast, the Fife telephone directory circa 1928 was printed on one small piece of cardboard!
It is a sad reflection that crime is an integral part of our modern society. The fact we own more than our ancestors means criminal activity has moved with the times and the type of crime committed is more sophisticated than typical just twenty years ago. The simplistic notion of a 'Bobby On The Beat' with rules permitting a 'clip around the ear' may sound grand but is impractical and inefficient in an era whereby such activity may be regarded as assault. In a similar vein, the highly effective and proven criminal deterrant called birching, once used in some parts of the nation, is now regarded as barbaric and is banned in European States. Maybe this explains why Britain locks up more of its citizens than any other country in Europe.
Modern policing works best with cooperation and contributions from members of the general public. In so many well-publicised cases, mere observation by an innocent passer-by has provided the vital clues leading to the capture of criminals. Reporting odd behaviour or happenings might also be preventative in nature and help the police better protect the community.
Not everybody wants to talk to the police though, either through mistrust or fear of reprisal from those likely to be challenged by the police, and that's where the crimestoppers charity an help. Calls and Emails sent to Crimestoppers are carefully editted to ensure the identity of the information provider remains secret and before the information is forwarded to the relevant authority. It's a freephone number too so helping the community won't even cost a penny. You can find out more about crimestoppers by clicking here.
CrimeStoppers
0800 555 111
Of course, there may be times when you may want to discuss business or non-urgent matters with the local police force and the following number may be more useful in such cases.
Fife Police
0845 600 5702
Calls are charged at the national rate. The Fife Police Website can be visited by clicking here. Helping your local police force means helping yourself and other people in your community.