George Dillon

HM Senior Coroner
Mr Christopher Campbell Wilkinson

Hampshire & Isle of Wight

Constabula
Chief Constable

Office of the Force Solicitor

Police & Fire Headquarters
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary

HM Coroner's Office Leigh Road
Castle Hill Eastleigh
The Castle Hampshire
Winchester $050 9SJ
Hants

$023 8UL Date: 29" August 2024

Our Ref

Your Ref:

Telephone
Fax No

Dear Sir

Response to Coroner Concerning the Death of George Dillon

This is the Constabulary’s response to the Regulation 28 Report to prevent further deaths
issued by Henry Charles, Assistant Coroner in the matter of George Robert Dillon
deceased. In that notice dated 16" July 2024 the coroner outlined his concerns, in respect
of an automated telephone call from the decease’s iPhone received in Hampshire and the
Isle of Wight Constabulary’s control room at 22.26pm on 18" May 2023.

a

. On 22.26pm the Constabulary’s control room were notified by BT of a 999 automated call
from the deceased’s iPhone indicating that they had been involved in a collision and
were not responding to their iPhone.

. The iPhone was called back but went straight to voicemail.

. The control room supervisor forwarded the message to the Intelligence desk to establish
who the iPhone belonged to and whether there were any previous markers associated to
the number which would indicate the owner of the number could be at risk.

. By 22.43 the Intelligence desk identified that there was no supporting markers.
. The Constabulary’s guidance to operators on automated notifications at the time of the

incident aligned to its response for abandoned 999 calls. Having failed to receive an
answer on call back and with no supporting information to inform a deployment the
incident would be closed. In this case had it not been for a separate call from a member
of the public at 22.45 hours police would not have dispatched an officer to the location of
the notification where the collision had occurred.

Hampshire & |OW

www.hampshire.police.uk (Ca CRIMESTOP?ERS

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6. Evidence at the time identified that false activations from telephones and watches was
common place and the locations received often inaccurate and unreliable, to the extent
the routine deployment of police resources without supporting evidence was not
appropriate.

7. Apple Crash detection and onward notification was a recent development at the time.
Other manufacturers have since introduced similar automated notifications. The
investigating officer stated during the inquest that “not enough is known (by the Police)
about this technology within people’s personal phones’.

8. The coroner was concerned that the understanding, training and procedures needed to
be reviewed to assist with appropriately prompt responses in situations where there is a
notification of a collision or where a right to life may exist.

Action Taken

At the time of the incident there was no national guidance available as to how police forces
should be responding to crash notifications. Following the Inquest Hampshire and the Isle of
Wight Constabulary accepted the need to put clear guidance in place. As a result immediate
action was taken by the Head of Contact Management who;

A. Included in a video message an update and clear direction to all staff as to the expected
course of action upon receipt of a crash notification.

B. Arranged for the video message to be followed up with written guidance from the
Operations Manager across both Hampshire and Thames Valley Forces (Ex1), with the
expectation that operators will deploy to all crash technology notifications if we are not
able to get a human response or other information to support it being a false notification.

In addition the Constabulary has now developed a toolkit to be made available to all
operators and control room staff which is due to go live in September. Once it does a copy
will be released to the coroner. The toolkit provides guidance for both abandoned and
automated notification calls across what are now, a range of sources, including Apple Crash
detections. The toolkit directs the call taker to confirm the eastings and northings, to record
what was heard in playback, to check whether any incidents have been reported nearby and
to search the caller’s history and undertake precautionary background checks. In the case
of Apple Crash detection and Ford Notifications if there is no response on call back and no
further information the operator is directed to create a Grade 1 incident for immediate
deployment.

Changes have been made in part, because, as recognised at the inquest, the technology
has advanced to the extent that the Constabulary’s previous approach left room for error,
notwithstanding the development of these technologies has taken place with little or no
interaction between the private companies providing these notifications and UK Policing.
The Head of Contact Management has since engaged with the Chair of the National
Contact Management Support Group, who has confirmed receipt of the coroners PFDNA. A
copy of the Constabulary’s Toolkit has been shared and it is now being used to further
national discussion on the subject.

. . Hampshire & 1OW
www.hampshire.police.uk to! CRIMES JOP PERS
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Finally, | am enclosing a copy of the email referred to above (Ex1). Whilst the toolkit itself is
not suitable to be shared publically, slide 7 which deals specifically with Apple Crash
notifications can be published and is included here as part of the email at Exhibit 1.

Yours Faithfully

Force Solicitor

Encs

EX 1

Hampshire & IOW

www.hampshire.police.uk (Ca CRIMESTOPPERS

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ex L
—  _

Sent: 30 August 20. :

Subject: FW: Deployments to Apple (and other) crash detection software activations
Importance: High

or ae
Sent: 30 August 2024 11:5:

To
Subject: FW: Deployments to Apple (and other) crash detection software activations
Importance: High

Sent: 28 August 2024 11:56
‘a

Subject: FW: Deployments to Apple (and other) crash detection software activations
Importance: High

Sent: 22 July 2024 16:4

To:

Subject: Deployments to Apple (and other) crash detection software activations
Importance: High

Team,

As you may or may not be aware — there was a Coroner’s inquest earlier this year which included questions for
Contact Management in relation to the Police response to a silent 999 call, in the form of an automated Apple crash
detection call.

Following that inquest, we have completed a review of our abandoned 999 operational guidance. That review has
nearly concluded and over the next few months | will be sharing an updated ‘Abandoned 999 tool-kit’ which will
include some changes in terms of how we manage abandoned 999 calls (including those from automated crash and
fall detections).

Prior to that toolkit being launched in its entirety, we now know enough about modern crash detection software to
make an immediate change to our operational guidance relating to these type of calls:

e

The following is a preview of what the toolkit provides you, in terms of operational guidance for these type of calls:

« Apple Crash Detection

Description

If this feature is enabled and the user handset detects what Apple describes as a ‘serious car crag
handset will trigger an alert. If the user does not cancel the alert, the handset will make an emer

Call Handler Info

A recorded message is played advising that the user has been involved in a car crash and provid
latitude and longitude, message is repeated. You will be provided with the usual mobile call info
EISEC data and can request playback of recorded message if required.

Call Hander Actions

Attempt to engage with the caller in the normal way in an attempt to secure the information yo
deployment. If the call drops out, please attempt to call the user back in the normal way. The cal!
no emergency service is required, in which case the log can be closed without deployme

If the line is silent or there is background noise (but you are unable to speak with the caller on a
must create a grade 1 incident for deployment at the location provided through the EISEC data.

Please consider this change to our guidance live as of now and take particular note of the call handler actions. It is
also important to note that (whilst Apple crash detection is the most common) there are several variants that work
in the same way, are equally accurate and are all supported by the BT 999 service. These include:

- Ford Car Service Crash Detection
- Real Rider Crash Detection

- Telematics Crash Detection

- E-Call Crash Detection

In all cases, please follow the call handler actions above.

The overarching principle we are working to is that (on the balance of probability) these activations are likely to
have resulted from a genuine crash. Unless we are able to quickly re-establish contact with the caller and confirm
police are not required, we should be deploying officers (on a grade 1 response) to the location provided by the
EISEC data - tasking officers with the necessary area searches and associated proportionate enquires to confirm the
welfare of the user.

Further context and briefings will come with the formal launch of the toolkit. If you have any further questions or
queries in the time being, please don’t hesitate to get in contact with me.

f -

CONT AIT EQUALITY oy Inclusive
pissed INCLUSION yey Allies

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devices

HM Coroner Mr. Henry Charles 
Winchester Office 
Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton Coroners Service 
Castle Hill, The Castle 
Winchester 
SO23 8UL 

6th September 2024 

Dear Mr. Charles, 

I write on behalf of the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) in relation to paragraph 7, Schedule 
5 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009, and regulations 28 and 29 of the Coroners (Investigations) 
Regulations  2013,  in  relation  to  the  prevention  of  future  deaths  regarding  the  death  of  George 
Robert DILLON on 20/05/2023, in my role as NPCC lead for Contact Management. 

The notice sets out concerns that arose from the information received during the inquest into the 
death of Mr Dillon. I am very sorry to read of the circumstances of Mr Dillon’s death. My sympathies 
are with his family and friends.  

Within the Regulation 28 you stated that you have concerns that the understanding, training and 
procedures in relation to automated crash detection calls into force control rooms needs reviewing 
to assist with ensuring an appropriately prompt response in situations where there is an indication 
of a collision where a risk to life may exist. 

In  my  role  as  NPCC  lead  for  Contact  Management  I  chair  the  National  Contact  Management 
Steering Group (NCMSG), which is made up of representatives from all police forces in England and 
Wales,  plus  Police  Scotland  and  the  Police  Service  of  Northern  Ireland.  Attendees  also  include 
representatives  from  government  departments,  HMICFRS,  College  of  Policing  and  BT.  I  will  be 
directing a task and finish group from the NCMSG on 13th September 2024 to work in fast time to 
create an agreed national position in relation to automated calls, including e-call, mobile phone 
crash detection and wearables notifications.  

I also chair the 999/112 Liaison Committee, which is a cross emergency service and governmental 
board, with attendees from BT, Vodafone and Ofcom supported by the Department for Science, 
Innovation and Technology. This committee have ownership of the Code of Practice for the Public 
Emergency Call Service (PECS) which is the definitive document which deals with the method of 
handling  999/112  public  emergency  telephone  calls  between  call  handling  agents  and  the 
emergency  authorities.  This  is  currently  under  review  and  includes  in  Memorandum  of 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
            
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Understanding (MOU) in relation to SOS-Alerts using UK GSM Networks. At the next meeting on 11th 
September 2024, as part of the work already ongoing to review and refresh the PECS, I will task work 
to  update  this  MOU  so  that  it  is  fit  for  purpose  in  line  with  the  direction  of  your  Regulation  28 
document.  

I  hope  the  information  provided  will  go  some  way  to  address  your  concerns  and  I  believe  these 
actions fulfil the NPCC’s duties under the Regulation 28 notice. Please do not hesitate to contact 
me if you require further action or information in relation to my response. 

Yours Sincerely 

Assistant Chief Constable 
Hertfordshire Constabulary, Strategy and Public Contact 

NPCC Lead for Contact Management 

Email: