What3Words helps Northamptonshire Police quickly reach victims of crime

Northamptonshire Police is encouraging people to download a smartphone app that’s helping to save lives by quickly identifying even the most remote of locations with pinpoint accuracy.

What3Words has divided the world into a grid of 3m by 3m squares and given each one a unique three-word address. If someone is lost or cannot describe their location they can use the service to get a three-word combination that can be passed directly to the emergency services.

Northamptonshire Police is now using the mapping system when taking emergency calls, joining 72 other emergency services across the UK.

It has already helped the Force Control Room to send officers straight to the scene of road traffic collisions, a violent assault, fuel theft, an abandoned vehicle and even an unexploded mortar.

In the case of the assault, the caller wasn’t sure of the house number involved, but using What3Words allowed it to be quickly pinpointed to officers, enabling the prompt arrest of a suspect.

Alison Morris, Resource and Systems Manager in the Force Control Room, said: “Instead of relying on vague descriptions of a person’s location, What3Words can immediately provide them with a unique three-word address, allowing us to pinpoint their exact location much quicker.

“It has been used successfully on a number of occasions in the control room and has saved valuable time locating incidents. We encourage the public to download this simple app as one day, it could help you in an emergency.”

What3Words is free to use and is available as an app and on the What3Words website.