Volume of 999 calls rising, police warn as issues over 101 continue
THE VOLUME of 999 calls to North Yorkshire’s control room is rising, police chiefs have warned, as waiting times for 101 have pushed added pressure on to the emergency service.
New figures released yesterday show a 25 per cent increase in the number of calls to the force’s 999 number this month compared to last year.
The spike over the last 12 months peaked on June 18, when the force’s control room received more calls than on New Year’s Eve – historically its busiest day of the year.
The announcement over rising 999 calls comes after a scrutiny panel this month called for an urgent review of the call handling system at North Yorkshire Police after concerns were raised about whether it was “fit for purpose”.
Deputy Chief Constable Lisa Winward said: “Like most forces across the country, we are currently experiencing high demand in the Force Control Room with an increase in calls – particularly 999 calls – of around 20 per cent since May 2017.
“I would like to reassure members of the public that we are implementing a number of measures to help deal with the unprecedented increase in demand, now and into the future, but this cannot be done overnight.”
North Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel has been putting pressure on Police and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire Julia Mulligan over the performance of the 101 service, used to report non-urgent issues.
Panel members expressed concern over reports some residents spent up to six hours waiting to speak to someone – and that some either had to abandon their call or consider using 999.
Deputy Chief Constable Winward urged people to use the 101 service in “the correct circumstances”. “Always call 999 if your safety is threatened or in an emergency situation,” she added.
Between July 2 and July 24 this year, 6,114 calls were made to the force’s 999 service, and a further 20,498 to its 101 number.
Ms Mulligan told the panel this month that the issue was being seen across forces nationwide.
Last week revealed South Yorkshire Police was also having major issues with its 101 service as callers took to 999 to report minor incidents because they ran out of credit on their phones.