Police ask for public to only call in emergency

North Yorkshire Police are asking people to stop and think before dialling 999 for non-emergency matters.

They say they have seen a significant increase in operational demand over the past couple of days.

The combination of good weather, the start of half term and an influx in visitors to the county have resulted in a rise in calls in our Force Control Room.

Superintendent Fiona Willey is Head of Customer Contact at North Yorkshire Police. Fiona commented:

"The staff in our Force Control Room are working extremely hard to deal with the increased demand.

"The sunny weather will inevitably lead to more calls so we’re urging the public to consider if their call is necessary and if it’s a non-urgent matter, could it wait until after the weekend.

“It’s also important that members of the public consider which service they need. There are many agencies out there that can offer help and support.

“If it is a genuine emergency then we are here to help. Our staff are trained to triage every call through a threat, risk and harm assessment which leads to that call being prioritised accordingly.