Staffordshire Police Improve 101 Non-Emergency Call Service - Results Published

Staffordshire Police have announced that they have made significant improvements to their 101 Non-Emergency Call Service. Data released by the National Police Chiefs' Council shows that the Staffordshire Force received a total of 338,270 101 non-emergency calls from April 2024 to March 2025.

The average time for 101 non-emergency calls to be answered was 54 seconds. Around five per cent of calls take over 15 minutes to be answered, and this will be at times when there is high demand on the emergency (999) line, which has to be prioritised. Eighty-one per cent of the public who use the service say it’s easy to contact them.

In the last 12 months, they have made significant improvements in the Force Contact Centre, focusing on giving our officers and staff the right tools to do their job to provide an outstanding service to victims – one of their key force priorities.

This includes the introduction of a new digital Victims Portal in December 2024. It gives people 24/7 access to details around their cases and the ability to supply additional information. It enhances the service the force gives to victims of crime in Staffordshire by offering two-way communication between the officer in the case (OIC) and victims, and supports the Victims’ Code Rights. The first phase looks specifically at certain crimes – vehicle crime, burglary, and criminal damage. This also aims to reduce 101 repeat caller demand, as they will no longer need to call the contact centre to be put through to the officer in their case or to get an update on their crime report.

They have also considerably improved the frequency and quality of their risk assessment process when speaking with callers, something that was highlighted by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) in their latest inspection.

Additionally, they have also carried out a comprehensive review of our recruitment and retention processes and are continuing with their improvement journey over the next 12 months, where the priority will be to reduce all call wait times, knowing that some 101 calls are still taking too long to be answered. They will do this by investing in new technology to improve the speed at which calls are answered, with an ongoing commitment to ensuring skilled call handlers remain at the core of the force control room.

Superintendent Matt Morgan said: “We’ve put significant effort and resources into improving our 999 emergency and 101 non-emergency call performance and tackling increased demand as effectively as possible in Staffordshire.

“We recognise that there is still work to do to make sure we improve the first contact we have with people in their time of need.

“Hopefully the public will see and feel the improvements, and we appreciate feedback to help us identify where we can continue to improve, to build the confidence of our communities and keep people safe.”

Staffordshire Commissioner for Police, Fire & Rescue and Crime Ben Adams said: “I am pleased to see the improvements Staffordshire Police have made to 101 wait times and the Force Contact Centre over the last 12 months. However, there is still some way to go.

“It’s important that the public receive a high-quality, timely response from their police service, which is why improving 101 and 999 call answering times remains a priority for me and the force.”  

Staffordshire Police Improve 101 Non-Emergency Call Service - Results Published - created 11.5.25