Non-emergency calls to Devon and Cornwall Police up 10,000 in a month
The force is urging people to be patient, saying 'if it isn't 999, reach us online'
Last updated 5th Sep 2022
Devon and Cornwall Police are reporting a big rise in non-emergency calls, having handled over 29,000 in August alone.
That is up by more than 10,000 and the force is urging people to be patient with the message: "Remember if it's not 999, reach us online".
Call handlers also took over 30,000 999 calls last month and have recently revealed that the number of emergency calls is the highest it has ever been.
This includes people reporting neighbours for using hosepipes ahead of the recent ban and fly-tipping - calls they say should be directed to either councils or the water company.
There has also been an increase in accidental 'pocket dials', which the force say wastes time as they have to establish if it was an emergency call.
Bosses have appealed to those who accidentally call 999 - or if their children do - to stay on the line and explain rather than hang up, which means call operators have to spend time finding out if it is an emergency or someone in too much danger to speak at that moment.
999 calls increase by nearly 30% each Summer, with an average of 818 calls received per day. This summer, the force has seen up to 1,200 calls daily.
Assistant Chief Constable Nikki Leaper said: "We've already had some busy weekends before the summer holidays started with the Platinum Jubilee celebrations and the fine weather at the beginning of June attracting people to our countryside and coast.
"The Jubilee weekend alone saw us answer nearly 6,000 calls for service including 3,859 999 calls".
She added: "I would like to thank the public for their patience as we know we can't always answer calls as quickly as we'd like to. We are working hard to meet the challenge. We have a fantastic, hard-working team in our contact centres, and we have recruited 107 new staff who are all at various stages of the recruitment and training process. Some have already started with us while others will be joining us later. We will continue building on this and increasing the team further, so recruitment will be opening again in the coming weeks.
"We will also be rolling out a new IT system in the next few months which will offer greater flexibility including the option, in non-emergency situations, for a member of the public to ask us to call them back".
Alison Hernandez, Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, said: "We need the public to do their bit to ensure they are reaching out to the correct service in the first place, and in the right way.
"Both WebChat and online form responses are dealt with by trained contact officers – so any issue will be dealt with by the same team – but using these channels instead of calling saves you time and will keeps the lines clear for members of our communities who, for various reasons, cannot contact the force online or are distressed.
"Many calls the police receive are really more appropriately dealt with by other local agencies. Poor parking, fly tipping or noise are examples of issues that councils are sometimes better placed to help with and you can save yourself time by going straight to them. And if you are being pushed from pillar to post then please contact your locally elected councillor who can better understand the problem and liaise with the right services on your behalf.
"You can also visit your local police enquiry office to reduce demand on the contact centre. These are open in Truro, Camborne, Barnstaple, Newquay, Exeter, Torquay, Plymouth (Crownhill), St Austell, Bodmin and the Isles of Scilly. More are due to open in Falmouth, Newton Abbott, Penzance, Tiverton and Bude later this year. Addresses and opening times can be found online".
More information on how to contact police and report a crime can be found on the Devon & Cornwall Police website.