PEOPLE could soon be able to report crimes online in an 'industry-first' system being produced by police.

An overhaul in how Thames Valley Police receives information from the public could be copied by forces across the country as it teams up with Software giant Microsoft.

The new system is expected to be rolled out is April next year to replace several 'outdated' systems and modernise how the public report crimes, supply information and follow up investigations.

It will not immediately change the way people contact the police via 999 or 101, but it is expected to be developed to create an easier way for people to reach officers online.

And leading officers say the 'Contact Management Platform' [CMP], will bring the police force right up to date and make the organisation more efficient.

Chief Superintendent Christian Bunt, head of contact management at TVP, told the Oxford Mail a new online reporting system would be to give people options of how they could contact the police.

He said: "CMP is a foundation for the future. At first it will not change the way members of the public contact us, but in the future it has the potential to offer ways to contact us that suit them such as online reporting, updates and progress checks. 

We will be adapting and developing a new web platform which will enable people to have more options around the ways people can report crimes.

"Only one operator can answer one phone at one time. That's not the most efficient way to do business for our non-emergency calls."

Ch Supt Bunt suggested the system could be developed to allow one operator to monitor online reports and direct them to the correct officers or other agencies.

Non-emergency crimes such as burglaries, thefts and incidents of anti-social behaviour are understood to be the types of crimes which could be reported online.

The revelation comes after chief constable Francis Habgood warned a summer which saw an unprecedented rise in calls to police had exposed that the force is 'pretty lean'.

He added the force 'cannot keep sprinting' to meet with soaring demand.

The Oxford Mail previously revealed how thousands of bogus calls to call management centres have placed strains on the frontline services.

A review is under way of how calls will be managed and directed to the correct agencies.

Ch Supt Bunt said an 'open and honest debate' is needed to take place with partner agencies including councils and the NHS to divert non-police calls.

It is hoped the new system's efficiency will help ease demands on the police and prevent delays in legitimate 101 calls being answered.

Members of the public can currently report some crimes via Thames Valley Police's website, but it is believed a new system will has the potential to become more user friendly - particularly for younger people.

Thames Valley Police said the new platform would allow the force to 'meet the needs' of communities.

A spokesman added: "The Contact Management Platform will record all police contact and responses with the public by Thames Valley Police.

"It will replace a number of outdated systems.

"There is currently robust testing in progress and its introduction will be dependent on this being successfully completed.

"CMP is a foundation for the future. At first it will not change the way members of the public contact us, but in the future it has the potential to offer ways to contact us that suit them such as online reporting, updates and progress checks."

PC Craig O'Leary, chairman of Thames Valley Police federation, welcomed the investment to modernise.

He added: "It's a massive project. I think it's to going be a good thing for officers.

"It's going to modernise the way we handle our calls and the way we dispatch our officers.

"People are more than happy to use online reporting. It's definitely the way to go."

The force received 278,699 emergency 999 calls across Thames Valley between April 2016 and April 2017.

Over the same period, 258,729 were received the year before and 252,375 were logged for the financial year 2014 to 2015.

For the first half of 2017/18, a total of 159,677 calls were received compared to 144,351 from the same period in 2016/17 - a 10.6 per cent rise.

Call handlers logged 1,060,136 non-emergency 101 calls between April 2016 and April 2017 compared to 1,018,904 the year before - a four per cent increase - and 1,022,763 calls in 2014/2015.