Being there for those most in need

Data published on Tuesday 31 May how police forces are delivering against the national target of 90 per cent of calls answered within 10 seconds.

Gwent Police responded to 81 per cent of 999 calls in under 10 seconds, according to figures provided by BT.

The new data published on Tuesday 31 May, as part of policing transparency, demonstrates that despite rising demand, the service continues to respond promptly to callers by exceeding the national average of 71.2 per cent.

The performance data on how long it takes police forces to answer 999 calls shows how forces are delivering against the national target of 90 per cent of calls answered within 10 seconds. 

Deputy Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman said:

“People call our 999 service when they are most in need of our help and support, so it is imperative that we offer a prompt and responsive service to those callers. 

“We’re asking anyone considering contacting us to think about the most appropriate route – with 999 reserved for emergency situations where you or another person are in immediate danger, or a crime is in progress.

“With a growing range of options to contact us from our 101 non-urgent calls number to social media or our website we’re asking people to work with us in making sure we can help those who most need it. 

“Prank calls or something that is important but not immediate mean that we can take longer to get to someone who might be in a life-threatening situation and nearly one third of our 999 calls do not result in an incident or crime report.

“This data helps us manage the increasing demand we’re facing with a significant rise in contacts over the past 18 months. 

“We want to make sure that we can offer the best possible service as quickly as possible and understanding the experience of callers helps focus our approach.

“With an increasing number of ways to contact us, and lots of advice on how to choose the best option each one of us can play a part in making sure Gwent Police is available at the end of the phone when the worst happens.”

The data, provided by BT, will show the public experience on waiting times when dialling 999 from the moment the call is directed to a force to when the call is answered by the police.

Released as part of the UK Government’s Beating Crime Plan it shows that forces across the UK received 5,218,350 calls between Monday 1 November and Saturday 30 April, averaging a call every three seconds. 

Gwent Police responded to more than 37,000 999 calls alone between November and mid-May.

We’re currently recruiting for force contact and control centre staff so if you think you have a calm, customer focused approach then find out more about the benefits on offer here.