A North East police boss has promised a “relentless focus” on cutting the time it takes to answer 999 calls.
Kim McGuinness, the Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), said on Tuesday that the force’s performance in picking up emergency calls was starting to improve – but warned that demand is still at levels equivalent to a New Year’s Eve-scale event happening every weekend.
It comes after Home Office figures published earlier this year revealed Northumbria was the slowest force in the country for answering 999 calls, with an average time of 33.3 seconds – more than three times the expected standard of 10 seconds. A report from His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) found last month that the force 'requires improvement' in responding to emergency 999 calls, though it was rated as ‘good’ in seven areas of the inspection.
