Police chiefs say demand is continuing to increase after seeing the second busiest day ever in terms of calls across Staffordshire.
On 9th September, Staffordshire Police’s control centre took 1,000 999 calls in a 24-hour period.
The same week also saw demand exceed levels expected on New Year’s Eve – typically one of the busy days of the year – on four occasions, making it one of the busiest weeks on record for the force.
Chief Superintendent Emily McCormick said:
“Officers and staff in our contact centre are dealing with an increasingly broad range of incidents on a daily basis which all pose their own unique challenges.
“One of the most important aspects of modern policing is that initial contact with a victim or vulnerable person.
“We’ve invested heavily in our triage function and digital contact services to help with this demand.
“We know there’s lots of work to do, but we’ve put steps in place to help us service this unprecedented demand as effectively as possible and provide the best possible service to our communities.
“If your call isn’t an emergency, please use alternative contact methods such as online and digital chat.”
Chief Supt Emily McCormick
Despite the rise in demand in recent months, calls in August were being answered in an average of nine seconds – below the Staffordshire Police target of ten seconds.
Staffordshire Commissioner en Adams said:
“When people call the police, they expect their calls to be answered quickly and for the police to be able to deal effectively with their issues, which is why improving contact was an absolute priority in my police and crime plan.
“In recent months, callers will have noticed improvements to the way their call was handled with faster answer times and a more effective initial response.
“With the help of council tax payers, I approved additional investment into our control centre to improve call answering times, expand the specialist team and make improvements to the triage system put in place to better manage the risk to the individual.
“Despite the unprecedented demand on the contact centre, 85% of all calls are now answered within ten seconds, placing the force sixth out of 43 nationally in June 2023.”
Staffordshire Commissioner Ben Adams