West Mercia Police below target for 101 call time response as number of unattended incidents increase after lockdown, police commissioner says
West Mercia Police has been challenged to improve its ability to answer 101 calls within the target time of 30 seconds, and respond to incidents when needed.
In a holding to account meeting with the Assistant Chief Constable, Police & Crime Commissioner (PCC) John Campion said two areas of performance needed to improve that directly impact the public and have the potential to undermine public confidence in the service.
The first was that the non-emergency call handling performance for 101 calls in 2020/21, and the second was an increasing trend in un-resourced incidents following the easing of lockdown restrictions from March 2021.
During the meeting, West Mercia Police outlined a plan which will see the force reach its target of answering 80 per cent of non-emergency calls within 30 seconds – it currently stands at 57 per cent. The PCC will receive regular updates to ensure the force is on track to deliver the service improvements. He also sought reassurance that investments made in the force by the public continue to be fully utilised to the best effect.
For the week ending May 2 this year, 6,973 non-emergency calls, equal to 60 per cent, were answered within 30 seconds. For the week ending May 9, 5,754 calls, or 63 per cent, were within 30 seconds and for the week ending May 16, 6,693 calls, also equivalent to 63 per cent, were answered within 30 seconds. This reduced back to 60 per cent of calls for the week ending May 23, when 6,946 were answered within the target period.
Expectations
PCC John Campion said: “Holding the force to account on concerns like the handling of 101 calls is important for our communities. If someone calls the police, they expect to be able to talk to someone within a reasonable time. They also expect police presence if there has been an incident, or something that warrants attendance.
“I absolutely recognise the sustainable improvements the force has delivered with its 999 emergency call handling, but within this meeting I sought reassurance that the force has plans in place to also improve non-emergency call handling. I have had the personal assurance of the Chief Constable’s team that the force has a clear plan to ensure 80 per cent of non-emergency 101 calls within 30 seconds by the end of the year.
“Ensuring the community is at the heart of policing means I will support and challenge the force to ensure that their plans are delivered and the public get the level of service they rightfully expect from their police force.”
Key to improving both concerns will be the embedding of the Local Policing Community Charter, which will aim to make sure that officers are accessible to local people without the need to contact 101.
