West Midlands Police bosses axe targets for 101 calls
West Midlands Police has ditched self-imposed targets for answering 101 calls, branding them 'no longer fit for purpose'.
The force set itself a standard of answering all non-emergency calls inside 30 seconds, but has repeatedly failed to hit the target, with such calls usually answered in between two and three minutes.
Bosses say they are dropping the target as call handlers now spend longer speaking to 101 callers with the aim of resolving queries immediately.
The force is also prioritising 999 emergency calls, a policy which has seen a vast improvement in performance over the last 12 months.
WMP took nearly 1.5-million non-emergency 101 calls last year.
Chief Superintendent Sally Bourner, Head of Force Contact, said: “We’ve previously set ourselves a standard of striving to answer 101 calls inside 30 seconds; this is not a national guideline but one we introduced ourselves some years ago.
“That time target is no longer fit for purpose as demand is changing and we now spend longer speaking to 101 callers with the aim of being to resolve their query at the first opportunity, often signpost them to other organisations that are better placed to help them.
“We have now removed the arbitrary non-emergency answering time target.
"However, non-emergency contact has improved in the last 12 months such that we’re still routinely answering half of all 101 calls inside 30 seconds. Callers can rest assured they will be connected at the earliest opportunity.
“We would also encourage people with non-emergency policing queries to go to the force’s new web portal where they can find lots of information – which will answer many questions – and also report low risk crimes online."
Figures released this week show the force now answers more than nine in 10 of all emergency calls inside the national 10-second standard.
West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson, said: “In times of huge demands on the police service I understand West Midlands Police’s assessment that emergency 999 calls need to be prioritised.
“I will still be monitoring carefully how long West Midlands Police takes to answer 101 calls and I expect high standards. The force need to ensure 101 calls are answered in a reasonable time, to maintain confidence in the system."
