Only one police force in the UK is meeting a target to answer 90% of 999 calls in under 10 seconds, new data has shown. Avon and Somerset Police was the only force to meet the standard, according to national statistics released for the first time by the Home Office.
Forty-three police forces failed to meet it over the six months from November 2021 and April 2022. Overall, 71% of 999 calls were answered within 10 seconds.
Humberside Police recorded the worst number, with only 2% of calls answered in under 10 seconds. South Yorkshire Police answered 17%, Durham Police 41%, North Yorkshire 44% and Gloucestershire 49%. Police Scotland aim to have a mean answering time of under ten seconds, and recorded 10.1 over the period.
