TecSOS (Technical SOS) is a ‘not-for-profit’ initiative which seeks to support victims of domestic abuse and other vulnerable persons through the provision of a specially adapted mobile phone that enables enhanced access to the police. The TecSOS handset is equipped with the latest tracking technology and can be operated by pressing a single key. TecSOS is an international project and calls are usually routed to the police via the national emergency call system that operates in the country in which it is being used. Within the UK, all 40,000 TecSOS numbers have been pre-loaded into the BT 999 emergency service. This enables the BT operator to immediately identify a TecSOS caller and to ‘announce’ it to the appropriate police control room.
TecSOS is live in 35 UK forces and also in a number of other European countries. Since its launch in 2011, TecSOS has helped over 10,000 UK users (45,000 globally). Independent evaluations have identified a number of proven benefits;
Thames Valley Partnership• Life-saving interventions
• An 11% reduction in police response times
• A significant reduction in perceived levels of fear (7.9 to 3.00)
• Reductions in repeat offending
• Improved victim perception of police engagement and performance
• Cost savings
Two UK forces are currently piloting the use of TecSOS handsets to support victims of Child Sexual Exploitation. Subject to positive evaluations, it is hoped to offer the service nationally.
