Police taking over five hours to respond to priority calls

• Some police forces taking an average of over 18 hours to respond to priority calls

• Lib Dems warn police response delays leaving victims in “extreme distress” with risk of evidence and witnesses being lost

Police forces are taking an average of five and a half hours to respond to priority calls, which can include burglaries or domestic incidents, damning figures uncovered by the Liberal Democrats have revealed.

The figures were obtained through Freedom of Information requests to police forces, asking for their average response times to ‘emergency’ and ‘priority’ calls. 

The average response time for calls categorised at Grade 1 emergencies, meaning there is an immediate threat to life, has increased by 9% in the past four years to an average of 16.5 minutes.

Meanwhile, the average response time for those assigned as Grade 2 priority incidents - which are deemed serious enough to require an urgent police response but with no imminent risk to life - has soared to just under five and a half hours in 2022. This is a 64% increase on the average response rate of just over three hours for priority incidents in 2019. Most police forces aim to respond to Grade 2 priority incidents within one hour.

Grade 2 priority incidents can include situations where an offender has been detained at the scene, there is the risk of the loss of a witness or evidence, or concern for a person’s health and well-being. These calls can include crimes such as burglaries, domestic abuse or grievous bodily harm.

The Liberal Democrats warned that the long response times meant crucial witnesses or time-sensitive evidence risk being lost, adding it was "unforgivable" so many victims are being denied justice. These figures follow previous research from the party showing the extent of crimes going unsolved - including nearly 75% of burglaries.

The data also reveals a disturbing postcode lottery, with response times varying significantly depending on the police force. Of the 19 police forces who responded, the worst performing force was Gloucestershire Police with an average response time for priority calls of a staggering 18.5 hours. This was followed by Derbyshire Constabulary, with an average wait time of 15 hours, and Avon and Somerset at 

Similarly, only one in four Grade 2 priority incidents in Avon and Somerset were responded to within the target time of 1 hour. Just 35% of Grade 1 emergency incidents in Cambridge were attended within the 15 minute target. 

Avon and Somerset had the longest average wait for Grade 1 emergencies at over 26 minutes - almost triple the average 9 minute wait in Northamptonshire.

Wait times have deteriorated in nearly every local area that responded, with just three police forces reporting shorter Grade 2 response times in 2022 as opposed to 2019.

The Liberal Democrats argue that the Conservative government has left police forces overstretched, under-resourced and unable to focus on neighbourhood crime.

The party is calling for a return to community policing, where officers are visible and trusted, with the time to focus on responding to local crime. 

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

“It’s disturbing that so many victims of crime are being left waiting hours after calling the police, often in extreme distress. People should be confident that if they’re in need, the police will respond swiftly - no matter where they are in the country. 

“Not only are victims left in distress, they could be denied justice in the process.  Evidence and witnesses are at risk of being lost during these long wait times - and that’s unforgivable. 

“When it comes to neighbourhood policing, things just aren’t working under this Conservative Government.

“After years of Conservative cuts and putting resources in the wrong places, it’s time to restore frontline community policing.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

First reported by The Times here.

This data was uncovered by an FOI to all 45 police forces in the UK. Their response provided the following data:

• The average police response time to attend 999 calls categorised as (i) grade 1 emergency, (ii) grade 2, (iii) grade 3 for each of the calendar years from 2019 to 2022. 

Full data by police force can be accessed here.

Although police forces can use slightly different definitions, ‘emergency’ calls usually require an immediate response given the possibility of an immediate threat to life. ‘Priority’ calls are meant to have a police response as soon as possible. Burglaries, domestic incidents and a missing persons report are likely to be lost usually fall under this category. Incidents also include those and situations where evidence is likely to be lost as well those where a suspect or witness is still at the scene of the crime.