North Wales Police answers 91% of emergency calls within 10 seconds as response times improve
North Wales Police answered 91% of emergency calls within 10 seconds in December, its highest ever rate on the national measure, with an average answer time of 5.37 seconds — the lowest the force has recorded.
The figures were shared during a visit by Police and Crime Commissioner Andy Dunbobbin and his deputy Wayne Jones to the Force Communications Centre in St Asaph.
The centre, which operates jointly with North Wales Fire and Rescue Service on St Asaph Business Park alongside the A55, handled more than 315,000 calls in the past 12 months.
Combined with webchat and email, the centre averages approximately 1,400 contacts a day, handled by approaching 120 communications operatives working around the clock.
The average time to answer a 101 call is now 1 minute 13 seconds, against a force target of below 3 minutes.
Average officer attendance time at incidents has reached just over 9 minutes.
Performance on call-backs to people reporting non-urgent demand within an hour stood at over 91% as of December.
The improvements follow investment in training and new technology after an HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services report identified the need to improve response times to some incidents.
Ten additional communications operatives and six switchboard operators have recently been recruited, with further technology upgrades planned.
Mental health nurses are present at the centre to assist when calls come in from people in crisis.
Force Control Room Superintendent Alwyn Williams said: “A great deal of focus and evidence building has taken place of late and we are now starting to see the improvements we have been striving for.
“However, the journey is still ongoing with new enhancements in technology being explored, along with ongoing recruitment to join us in the North Wales Police family.”
Dunbobbin said: “Response times, especially for the 101 service, are a key issue brought up with me by members of the public across the region.
“While there’s always more that can be done, I am pleased with the steps underway at the FCC to ensure we are able to make North Wales the safest and most secure place in the UK to live in or visit.”
North Wales Police can also be contacted via webchat or through the force website.
Check live fuel prices near you before you set off.
Spotted something? Got a story? Email news (@) deeside.com
NEW: Add Deeside.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Latest News
