People ringing Cumbria police’s non-emergency 101 number only wait three seconds for their call to be answered – among the quickest in the country.
National league tables show that the average time people wait for their call to be answered is 32 seconds – and the longest is Bedfordshire Police, with a wait time of two minutes and two seconds.
The monthly league tables show that in Cumbria, the 101 number received 18,055 calls in January, 16.771 calls in February and 18, 494 calls in March – the last month available.
Chief Constable of Cumbria Constabulary Rob Carden said: “Reducing the waiting times on our 101 non-emergency line is a priority in Cumbria, and I am very proud to see that work recognised nationally through the results that were published this week.
“We have consistently been one of the best performing forces for 101 waiting times in recent years, which is why I’d like to take this opportunity to thank those officers and staff who work day-in and day-out in the call management centre.”
In Cumbria, the public are given a number of options for contacting the Constabulary in an non-emergency situation so people can opt for whatever works for them – whether online or via a phone call, with those opting for online helping keep the phone lines free for emergency 999 calls.
Cumbria’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner David Allen said: “It’s excellent to see Cumbria ranked so highly in the national league tables for 101 – well done to all staff in the call management centre.
“Here in Cumbria, I want to ensure that we continuously improve our 101 and 999 call handling both in efficiency and in quality and will continue to work with the Chief Constable to achieve this even further.
“We have recently been awarded an extra £1.68m by the Home Office as part of the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee. Part of this guarantee will see officers that are currently in the call management centre being placed back on our streets and more civilian staff being brought in to handle calls.”
