Northumbria Police has been told that they must improve the time it takes to answer emergency calls and reduce the number of non-emergency calls that are abandoned.
An inspection from His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) found that the force 'requires improvement' in responding to emergency 999 calls and other calls from the public. It has also been told to improve the accuracy of crime recording.
Figures published earlier this year found that between November 1, 2021 and April 30, 2022, Northumbria Police took on average 33.3 seconds to answer 999 calls. It was the only force in the UK to take more than 30 seconds to pick up the phone, exceeding the target time for calls to be answered within 10 seconds.
