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07
Feb
Big improvement in 999 response times in North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire Police’s response times for 999 and 101 calls have significantly improved over the last two years.
In 2022 the Stray Ferret reported that only 40% of 999 calls were answered within 10 seconds.
The national target set by the government is 90%.
Superintendent Michael Walker, head of operational training, planning and logistics at the force, said at the time the county's average 999 response time of 20 seconds was an “unacceptable number".
The figure had improved to 90.34% in December 2023 and 94.81% in December last year.
The statistics were revealed at a meeting of North Yorkshire Council's fire and crime panel yesterday (February 6).
The improvement follows a £1.8 million investment in the force control room by former Conservative police, fire and crime commissioner Zoe Metcalfe in 2023/24 amid concerns the slow response time was putting lives at risk.
The table below shows the gradual increase in the percentage of calls picked up within the national target across 2024, and compares it to the national average.
A table showing the percentage of 999 calls answered under 10 seconds for each month in 2024. Credit: North Yorkshire Council
101 calls
Non-emergency 101 calls are also being answered quicker. A year ago 58% were being answered within 10 seconds; the figure is now 64.31%.
Previously, almost 25% of 101 calls were being abandoned. Now this figure is down to 5%.
Chief Constable Tim Forber told the panel tha the volume of 999 calls was down by 6% this year and this could be affecting the response times for emergency and non-emergency calls.
He said:
There’s only a certain degree to which you can analyse that. I do think that because the 101 service is getting better there’s not as many people hanging up and ringing 999 just to get through.
The transformation in the control room is brilliant. Andy Nunns and his team work incredibly hard, and they’re incredibly committed. They’ve done a sterling job to turn it round and get it where it is now.
But we are not resting on our laurels. There is software out there that allows you to digitise the victim journey. For example, Thames Valley in Hampshire implemented this; their 101 wait time was 10 minutes, now they’re down to a minute.
A lot of the calls we will get is victims asking for an update on their investigation. By investing in some of that technology, we can further decrease our waiting times.
Chief constable Forber also stated that, since his appointment in April 2024, crime has dropped by 6% and antisocial behaviour by 16%.
The police have arrested 4% more people than last year and have decreased their list of outstanding suspects by about 20%, he added.
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