Overstretched police may switch off 101 line at night

Non-emergency helpline under review after average wait for call to be answered reaches five minutes

THE non-emergency 101 helpline could be switched off at night after police warned that its resources were overstretched.

Victims could be asked to report crimes such as shoplifting, noise or litter pollution online or to the relevant council or NHS Trust.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) is reviewing the service in the run-up to the current contract’s expiry in March 2020.

In a letter sent to Nick Hurd, the policing minister, the NPCC said it had set up a “strategic discussion” to consider whether the service should operate around the clock and if not, how it might affect 999 usage.

Around 32million calls were made to 101 over the past year but as call handlers prioritise the growing number of 999 calls, waiting times have increased.

The average wait for a call to be answered in London five years ago was slightly more than 10 seconds, but it now takes almost five minutes, according to figures obtained by The Mail on Sunday.

One force, Bedfordshire, had to suspend its 101 line several times last year in order to cope with 999 calls.

An NPCC spokesman said its ambition was for the “same consistency” of the 999 and 101 services to be offered digitally, adding that both phone lines needed to evolve.

He added: “999 and 101 are national services used by millions every year. Our ambition is to offer that same consistency in digital contact to better reflect changing public preferences.

“Whilst we aim to maintain an effective traditional 999 and 101 offer to the public, this will also need to evolve alongside the wider public contact and engagement offer to ensure quality, consistency and sustainability.” Funding pressures are forcing chief constables to prioritise their resources.

Budgets have been severely cut, while Home Office crime figures released last month show a 14 per cent rise in killings in the last year to September, while violent crimes were up by 19 per cent for the same period.

The NPCC spokesman added: “There are 44,000 fewer officers and staff involved in policing than there were in 2010. Resource within policing is under pressure as forces deal with rising crime, demand that is more complex, and an unprecedented terror threat with fewer officers and staff.

“It is for individual chiefs to manage response from within their force and some have already made it clear that police can only prioritise their resources against the greatest harm.”

John Apter, chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said he supported the initiative because non-emergencies could be reported during office hours or online, but he warned that it would result in more people using 999 as an alternative.