999 call performance in West Midlands 'has improved'
West Midlands Police’s response to emergency calls the force receives has improved, data has revealed.
A report to the West Midlands Police (WMP) and Crime Panel said the performance in answering 999 calls within the 10 second limit has improved while the average response time has also reduced in 2024/25 compared with the previous year.
The statistics, as part of West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster’s annual report, also showed an improved performance in 101 calls.
And they have also recorded a sharp drop in the number of people hanging up after waiting too long for their calls to be answered.
The report said: “In 2024/25, the total number of 999 calls received by WMP fell by 10 percent, decreasing from 810,868 to 732,440 calls in comparison to 2023/24.
“Call handling performance has remained consistently strong. The proportion of 999 calls answered remained static at 99.9 percent, demonstrating sustained reliability in emergency call response.
“Performance against the national 10-second call service level agreement has improved.
“Compliance increased from 93 percent in the previous year to 96 percent in 2024/25, representing a 3-percentage point improvement.
“This indicates a continued focus on meeting service level expectations and ensuring the public receives a timely emergency response.
“The average answer time for 999 calls has improved, reducing from five seconds to three seconds in 2024/25.
“This represents a 40 percent improvement and demonstrates faster connection times, which are particularly critical in emergency situations where every second counts.
“There has also been a notable reduction in the number of calls abandoned after waiting more than 10 seconds.
“This figure dropped from 651 to 179, a decrease of 73 percent. The improvement reflects increased efficiency in call handling and fewer instances of callers disconnecting due to delays or other reasons.
“Turning to 101, there has been a 15 percent increase in demand, with 755,332 calls received in 2024/25 compared to 655,832 the year before.
“Despite this rise in call volume, the service has responded well.
“The proportion of calls answered, rose from 87 percent to 95 percent, an increase of 8 percentage points.
“There has also been considerable progress in meeting the 3-minute answer time target. Compliance rose from 76 percent to 93 percent, a 17-percentage point improvement.
“This reflects ongoing efforts to improve access to police services and deliver a more responsive experience for the public.
“The average answer time for 101 calls has seen a substantial improvement, falling from 2 minutes and 13 seconds to just 36 seconds in 2024/25.
“This 72 percent reduction demonstrates a significant increase in responsiveness, ensuring that callers are connected to the support they need far more quickly.
“The number of calls abandoned after waiting more than 3 minutes has also dropped sharply.
“A total of 8,665 calls were abandoned in 2024/25, compared to 36,091 the previous year.
“This 76 percent reduction highlights improvements in both speed and overall service quality, as fewer callers are disengaging.”
