POLICE response to emergency calls has improved in Staffordshire in recent months, bosses have said.
It comes after a study revealed the force had the fourth slowest average time in the country last year.
The average time for Staffordshire Police to answer 999 calls was 12.51 seconds in 2024, according to the study by InjuryClaims.co.uk.
The force with the quickest average answer time was Lincolnshire Police, at 4.65 seconds, while the slowest of the 44 forces was West Mercia Police, with an average response time of 13.99 seconds.
A spokesperson for InjuryClaims.co.uk said:
“Response times for emergency services are a critical factor in life-or-death situations. A delay of just a few seconds can make a significant difference in preventing crime, responding to accidents, or providing urgent assistance.
“While it’s reassuring to see the quick response of so many forces, those with slower response times may indicate areas in need of more funding or operational support. In an emergency, every second counts, and it’s vital that resources are optimally deployed to ensure public safety.”
In recent years Staffordshire Police have reported a surge in 999 calls – and in 2024 it received 207,422, compared to the 107,509 received by Lincolnshire Police and 173,144 received by West Mercia Police, the study revealed.
Staffordshire Police has recruited more contact centre staff and introduced a triage service, as well as launching an online reporting facility on its website, to help it respond more quickly to emergency calls.
Superintendent Matt Morgan from the Staffordshire Police contact centre, said:
“We’ve put significant effort and resources into improving our emergency call performance and tackling increased demand as effectively as possible in Staffordshire.
“In the last three months, our average time to answer 999 calls was 7.41 seconds. Around 89% of these calls were answered in under ten seconds, which is the length of time we aim to answer all our emergency calls by.
“From November 2023 to November 2024, we answered 85% of all 999 calls within ten seconds. We recognise that there is still a lot of work to do to make sure we improve the first contact we have with people in their time of need.
“Part of this work has seen the introduction of our new Victim’s Portal, giving people 24/7 access to details around their cases and helping to reduce repeat demand on our call takers and digital reporting services.
“His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services’ latest inspection also found that we had considerably improved the frequency and quality of our risk assessment process. It means that our call takers are providing a better service in times of emergency and we’re giving them better tools to service demand in Staffordshire.”
Staffordshire Commissioner Ben Adams said:
“Improving 999 and 101 speed and quality is an absolute priority for me.
“As a result of additional investment in people, processes and systems, Staffordshire Police have been among the best 999 performers in the country for many months for the percentage of calls answered within the national target of 10 seconds.
“I am pleased with performance improvements that have regularly placed the force in the top half of the 43 forces in England and Wales in the last 12 months.
“While a small percentage of callers have a longer wait, every one of them is important, so I will continue to monitor the contact performance of Staffordshire Police to ensure that even more people get the service they expect.”
