Average 101 call response time almost five minutes in Scotland
Police Scotland’s call handlers are taking more than a minute longer to respond to queries compared to last year.
The average wait time for a response to a 101 call is almost five minutes, official statistics show.
Data published in Police Scotland’s quarterly performance report notes call handlers are taking more than a minute longer to respond to queries compared to last year.
The average call response time to the non-emergency line was four minutes and 27 seconds in 2022/23, up from three minutes and 17 seconds in 2021/22.
Russell Findlay, justice spokesman for the Scottish Conservatives, said the 36% increase was due to staff being overstretched due to falling police officer numbers.
He expressed concerns that the increased waiting time could have a knock-on effect, with frustrated callers dialling 999 instead for a quicker response.
Mr Findlay said: "These lengthy waiting times are an unacceptable but entirely predictable result of the SNP's underfunding of Police Scotland.
"Overstretched officers and staff are doing their very best but they are being deprived of the resources they desperately need to serve the public.
"Callers should not have to wait almost five minutes for a 101 call to be answered. It's the kind of shoddy experience you might expect from a bank or utility company - not the police service.
"My concern is that as wait times increase, more frustrated callers might hang up and dial 999 which could add even more pressure to the system.
"Public safety will continue to be put at risk unless SNP ministers make justice and policing a priority rather than an afterthought."
Worry over Police Scotland budget
Scotland's Chief Constable Sir Iain Livingstone previously raised worries about the force's budget allocation for the year ahead despite a Scottish Government uplift of £80 million in revenue funding.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: "Police Scotland call handlers work hard to ensure all calls to the service are answered as quickly and as safely as possible - with priority placed on 999 calls.
"The Scottish Government remains committed to working closely with both the Scottish Police Authority and Police Scotland to ensure we continue to have a safe, protected and resilient Scotland.
"Despite UK Government austerity, and in recognition of the crucial role Police Scotland officers and staff play keeping our communities safe, the service is receiving an additional £80 million in resource funding in 2023/24, a 6.3% increase compared to 2022/23."
Chief Superintendent Paul Wilson, Contact, Command and Control Divisional Commander, said: “Between April 2022 and March 2023, the number of emergency 999 calls to Police Scotland increased by 5% compared to the previous year, and as the public would expect we will always prioritise calls to the 999 service to ensure we can assist those people who need our urgent help.
“During this busy period our 999 answering times remained below 10 seconds.
“When we respond to increased emergency 999 calls there may be longer waiting times for our non-emergency 101 service, however we do offer an online ContactUs facility, via our website, to report non-urgent matters which will save members of the public from having to wait for their call to be answered.”