Struggling police may shut 101 line at night

THE police’s non-emergency 101 line could be switched off at night, documents obtained by The Mail on Sunday reveal.

Under plans to reduce soaring demand on overstretched forces, victims may be encouraged to report crimes online instead.

Chief constables are considering the drastic proposals amid growing concern over the system for nonemergency calls. Some 32 million calls were made to 101 during the past year, but police say a ‘significant proportion’ were about issues such as noise or litter, which could have been directed to councils or the NHS. And, as call-handlers prioritise the growing number of 999 calls, the performance of 101 is ‘dropping off ’, with far longer waiting times.

Figures obtained by this newspaper show that the average wait for a call to be answered in London five years ago was slightly more than ten seconds, but it now takes almost five minutes.

In a letter to Policing Minister Nick Hurd, chief constables reveal they have set up a ‘ review and revision’ of the 101 line prior to the current contract’s expiry in March 2020. This ‘ strategic discussion’ will consider ‘should 101 be 24/7 and if not, how might this impact on 999 usage’.

It will also examine if some callers should be ‘ pushed towards online reporting’ for incidents such as shoplifting, with Chief Constable Simon Cole of Leicestershire Police warning that ‘ challenging decisions’ will need to be made.

A spokesman for the National Police Chiefs Council said: ‘While we aim to maintain an effective traditional 999 and 101 offer to the public, this will also need to evolve to ensure quality, consistency and sustainability.’