Hampshire Constabulary has been facing an unprecedented number of 999 and 101 calls over the past month, prompting a timely reminder about appropriate use of the emergency numbers to be issued.
The recent surge in calls is believed to be partly attributed to the increase in good weather as well as an increased level of alertness among the public following recent terrorist attacks. However, increasingly, Police are finding that people are calling 999 when it’s not an emergency.
The overall number of 999 calls between Jan-Jun 2017 has increased by 9% – that’s 114,486 calls this year, compared with 105,212 calls in the same time period in 2016. In addition, the overall number of calls to the 101 non-emergency number also increased by 1% – 326,230 this year compared with 324,069 in 2016.
A spokesperson for Hampshire Constabulary has said:
“We always prioritise 999 calls over the non-emergency 101 number. When we have significant numbers of 999 calls, we dedicate more of our call handlers to operating these emergency calls. At peak times of demand, this reduces our capacity to answer non-emergency calls.
“If a life is in danger, a crime is being committed, there’s a risk of injury or an immediate police response is required, dial 999. Calls to this number are always free.
“For non-emergency police enquiries, call 101. Calls to this number cost a flat fee of 15p, no matter what time of day you call or how long you are on the phone for.
“Our peak demand times for 101 calls are between 08:00-10:00 and 16:00-20:00. If callers experience a delay in getting through to us on the 101 number, we are asking them not to phone 999 as an alternative but to please call back later.
Article continues below this advertisement “We receive a significant amount of calls which don’t require police assistance. Before calling, please think about whether the police are the best people to help you”.
