Calls to 101 now answered in seconds

Avon and Somerset Police are reflecting a trend of improvement which has seen national median average waiting times for answering non-emergency 101 calls fall to just 32 seconds

Head of Command and Control, Tara Bryant, said: “We’ve reduced our wait times for callers and given people more options and updates at busy times. We’ve made sure our automated option system works for callers and we offer a call back option if someone isn’t answered within three minutes.”

Tara explained that people don’t lose their place in the queue if they opt for a call back. Callers choosing that option usually hear back in an average of about 10 minutes.

A triage system is also in place to handle simple queries more efficiently, while more complex or time-consuming calls are passed onto one of our call handlers.

 As a result our 101 calls in March were answered on median average in 11 seconds. For seven of the past 12 months that average was 0.02 seconds or less.

Non-emergency call data is now published alongside other statistics on the national website www.police.uk.

We know that nationally the police service sees an increase in demand in the warmer summer months. For five months last year (April-August 2024) we had more than 50,000 non-emergency calls each month.

We want to make sure we’re here when you need us, so there are several different ways you can contact us:

• You can report crime, pass on information, contact your local neighbourhood team, get advice and much more through our website
• You can also call 101, 24/7, to report a crime when there’s no risk of immediate harm, especially if it has just happened, for advice, or to speak to an individual officer
• 999 is for emergencies only – when a crime is underway or there’s a risk to life or of serious harm
• You can also speak to an enquiry officer in person at one of our police stations. Find locations and opening times.

Calls to both 999 and 101 are free, whether you’re ringing from a landline or a mobile phone.