[C]umbria Constabulary has seen unprecedented levels of demand over the summer – exceeding even the emergency calls received during Storm Desmond.
The head of the National Police Chief’s Council, Sara Thornton, spoke out last week about the unsustainable strain being put on police forces following the recent terrorist incidents and threats, alongside rises in emergency calls to the police.
Cumbria Constabulary is in line with this national trend, in experiencing extremely high demand with a record number of 999 calls being received over the summer.
In December 2015 the Constabulary received 5,486 emergency calls via 999 when the county was hit with significant flooding during Storm Desmond, with 5,890 and 5,690 calls been received during July and August this year.
Cumbria Constabulary’s Assistant Chief Constable Mark Webster said: “We have seen an increase in calls for service over the summer and my Officers and Staff have dealt with a range of issues and responded quickly to the increased national security threat, protecting a number of high profile events over the county and responding to the highest ever level of 999 emergency calls.
“Often Cumbria Constabulary receives more than 1,000 phone calls a day and our priority is always the emergency calls for service. This summer, during our busiest period, I am reassured that we have typically answered 90 per cent of 999 calls in less than 10 seconds, with the average wait for people calling 999 being less than eight seconds.
“However, our resources are finite and the decision, quite rightly, to prioritise 999 calls has consequences elsewhere with there being an increase in waiting times on our non-emergency line, 101.”
The 101 phone number is for non-emergencies, where people call to get advice and information or to report a crime which has occurred previously and response time is less of a factor.
Cumbria Constabulary’s Command and Control Room, unlike many police forces, is staffed by police officers. This means that your call is taken by a police officer who can often resolve your issue there and then, rather than pass it on to someone else to deal with.
ACC Webster said: “I would like to thank the public for contacting us, often with important information and the patience they have shown during this period – particularly those people who have called our 101 non-emergency number and been faced with a wait, the average for August being 8 minutes and 22 seconds. So far this month, the average call waiting time has fallen below 5 minutes.
“We would like to ask people to continue to have patience as, whilst we are taking action to reduce call answering time on the non-emergency phone line, our resources are limited and the financial reality is that we cannot simply put more people into the room without affecting policing elsewhere.”
Police and Crime Commissioner, Peter McCall said:
“Following the recent terrorist threats and incidents this summer, Cumbria has seen a significant increase in demand for the police both in terms of visibility, calls for service and information. This situation has been exceptional, and Cumbria reflects the national trend highlighted last week by the Chair of the National Police Chiefs Council, Sara Thornton.
“ I would like to thank you, the public of Cumbria, for the conscientious response to helping keep the county safe. We will have all seen the heightened visibility of officers and armed officers on our streets and the information from you about what is happening in your community really makes a difference to policing.
“As a result, there may be times when 101 is not answered as quickly as we would all like. That said, I know from feedback I have received that the public do understand that during the period of heightened security this summer our police force has been stretched and this has been a factor in some delays getting through to 101.
“The Constabulary’s performance for answering 999 calls has remained consistently good and is one of the top performing forces in the country. The message is clear if you need an emergency response from the Police you will get one.
“I have been and will continue to monitor the situation very carefully and publically through my regular Public Accountability Conferences and as I am out and about listening to your feedback at surgeries and other public events.”
There are a number of channels that the public can use to get information, find out who to contact and to report crime online:
Reporting Online:
Cumbria Constabulary online report form: https://www.cumbria.police.uk/Contact-us/Report-a-Crime/Report-a-crime-or-incident.aspx
Or email: [email protected]
Advice:
Advice on Crime Prevention, Online Security and more: https://www.cumbria.police.uk/Advice-Centre/Advice-Centre.aspx
Have a concern but not sure whether it is one for the police? https://www.cumbria.police.uk/Services/Services.aspx
