Almost 25% of 999 calls to West Mercia Police were abandoned in May
The force are urging everyone to stay on the line - even if your call was accidental
Last updated 15th Jun 2024
West Mercia Police are urging everyone to stay on the line if you call 999 - even if it's by accident.
It's as they've released new stats - showing just under a quarter were abandoned out of the almost 20,000 calls back in May.
They say staying on the line can help them make sure you're okay.
The stats, which show 4791 calls to West Mercia Police's Operations and Communications Centre via 999 were abandoned - that equates to around 155 every single day.
West Mercia Police say this figure is an increase of 100% in abandoned 999 calls compared to May 2022.
Each time this happens, call handlers spend time investigating if that person is safe. Some of these calls are genuine emergencies, but many are pocket dials and children playing with their parent’s phone.
By letting the police know you are OK if you accidentally call 999, you're helping them to establish the real emergencies much more quickly.
Public Contact Chief Inspector Carrie Solomon said: “With every abandoned call, we need to check on the caller’s welfare, which means in some cases, we’ll dispatch an officer to find them.
“Our call handlers will try to phone the person back, but if they can’t get through, they’ll contact their network supplier to pinpoint where they are.
“We can’t assume that the person is okay – and every second counts in an emergency.”
The vast majority of these abandoned calls are accidental. This is not just an issue we have in West Mercia, it’s nationwide. Improvements to phone and smart watch software, which make it easier for you to let us know if you do need assistance, also increase the possibility of a pocket dial.
Chief Inspector Solomon continues: “Phone users usually hang up quickly out of panic and embarrassment – but please stay on the line and let us know you’re ok.
“We understand that accidental calls like this happen to everyone at some point. The key thing is letting us know you’re safe – you’re not in any trouble!
“So to help us out, stay on the line and have a quick conversation with our call handler and let them know what has happened, then we can close the call. We’d much rather spend a couple of minutes on the phone to you than an hour tracking you down.”
Over 50,000 calls via 999, the non-emergency 101 number and their digital channels were received in May alone.
The figures
West Mercia Police have broken down the figures of the number of calls they received in May 2023. Every contact with the force is processed through a threat, risk and harm assessment before it's prioritised accordingly:
- 999 calls: 19,384
- 101 calls: 27,918
- Digital channels: 3312
To keep phone lines free for genuine emergencies, you can contact West Mercia Police here for an update, and you can report non-emergency incidents here.
West Mercia Police also have an advice and information page to help you 'make the right call'.
You can check out the West Yorkshire Police website for advice on how to adjust your phone settings so you don't accidentally call the emergency services.